The Lovely Finale!
by Hikawa Kajinendo
Summary: It's their final year of school, and things are heating up! With a new student, things aren't quite going to be the same for the gang ever again! Drama, comedy, and romance rolled into a delicious fruity mix! OCx? HIATUS (APOLOGIES)
1. Silver Soul

Disclaimer: Lucky Star ain't mine and never shall be; my current lifestyle wouldn't leave me enough money to own the series, anyways! XD Otaku rule!

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I: Silver Soul

If there was anything said to be typical of Ryōō Gakuen High School in Kasukabe of the Saitama Prefecture, it was that some days proved themselves to be a bit odder than the last. Odd in a fun way, most of the time, but sometimes it would simply be just plain odd. As a certain sleepy-eyed girl with long cobalt blue hair that fell to her calves, joined by a rather large ahoge on top of her head, would find out, she should have taken note of the bike heading her way, its rider currently not paying any sort of attention at all. As it were, though, she had been gaming for way too long the previous night, and as a result was half-asleep (or rather, mostly asleep), even though she was walking. The bike rider was also just as tired, even if maybe not for the same reasons. Why he was tired, we shall not go into detail yet. But everyone knows that it only happens in anime that a sleepy bike rider (who is, coincidentally, a boy) accidentally runs into a sleepy walking girl with no real damage done. It is rather good then that "Lucky Star" is, indeed, an anime (as well as a manga series, and has light novels and videogames).

It was over just a suddenly as it happened. One minute Konata was silently regretting having stayed up so long (although it had been worth it, getting so many rare items! What a lucky night!), and the next she found herself knocked flat on the ground, lying underneath two heavy objects: A bike, and the boy who had been riding it. Well, mostly the bike; the boy had been thrown from it when he had crashed into her. Blinking in shock, Konata squirmed out from beneath the bike, brushing herself down and wincing in pain. The boy, meanwhile, was shakily standing up, as it's not everyday one crashes into someone. Strangely enough, the accident did nothing to wake them up; even stranger, they yawned at exactly the same moment, at exactly the same volume, and in exactly the same tone. The boy looked over at Konata, apology written all over his tired face. "Gomen, I really should've been paying attention. You're not hurt, are you?"

Konata didn't immediately reply; she picked up her school bag and opened it to peer inside, checking to make sure her manga was safe and sound. Satisfied that her treasures were a-okay, she flashed the boy a grin and a thumbs-up. "Nah, nah, I'm fine. It'd take more than that to stop me!" she added, flexing what muscles she had. This caused the boy to turn around and make some attempt to hold in his laughter, or rather turn it into coughs. Luckily, Konata wasn't paying much attention, but she was nice enough to help him get his bike back on its wheels. "You should really watch where you're going though."

The boy shrugged as he put his hands on the handlebars, pushing the bike as he and Konata began walking to the school. It really didn't seem like they didn't even notice they were walking to school. "I was up too long last night; but I think it was totally worth it! Y'see, there's this one MMORPG I play where there's this person who I-or rather, my character-is married to, and they got really good items when we were hunting. Eheheh, we stayed up really late before I realized what time it was before I logged off," he laughed, and Konata joined in.

"Well, I understand completely. I went to bed late 'cause in the MMORPG I play I was getting so many rare items I didn't want to stop. I was sharing with the other person in my group, of course; we're married, y'know, so of course I would share. I completely lost track of time!" She began laughing again, and the boy began laughing as well. It was a rather odd sight, seeing the two of them laughing for apparently no reason whatsoever. Konata took a look at the boy, finally taking notice of his classically messy silver hair (which was an odd color in itself, but in an interesting way) and his grey eyes, which had shone with a passionate flame while he had been talking about the game he'd been playing. Konata knew that flame well, very very well. She also finally took notice of his uniform, although considering he was walking the same way she was it should've been obvious to the third-year that there was a reason for it. "Oh, so you go to Ryōō, too?"

"Yup," he said proudly, laughing again. He seemed to do that a lot. "The name's Raito Kaoru, a third-year! So you'd better treat me with the respect an upperclassman deserves!"

"Oh really?" Konata replied with a mischievous grin. "Izumi Konata, and I'm _also_ a third-year."

"You're kidding!"

"That was rude," she sulked, being reminded once again of how short she was. Even if it wasn't Kagami teasing her this time, it was still a little depressing to realize that she was so easily mistaken for a first-year. Again the boy-Kaoru, he said?-was laughing, but he raised an apologetic hand. He still looked like he was in pain from laughing so hard, though. "Sorry, sorry, but you're kinda... well, anyways, it's very good to meet you Izumi-san. I never expected to meet someone who is as avid a gamer as I! To feel the wonder and pride that comes from obtaining a rare item, or reaching a long-desired level, that is the true wonder of gaming, eh?"

Konata nodded sagely, a big grin on her face. "Exactly! So few others understand the passion we feel as we grow stronger, learning from our experiences and teaming up with others to take down tough bosses! Yes, we gamers are never truly understood by those who have no idea of the burning passion we feel!" And then she sighed, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, even though we say these things, it doesn't change the fact that we sometimes play too long."

"True, and it gets hard to get used to a school schedule if one becomes accustomed to staying up late playing games over break," Kaoru commented thoughtfully, and he began laughing. "But y'know, the same can be said when watching a really good anime, or reading a great manga. You never want to just stop; you always want to keep going on and on."

"Oh! A fellow otaku, huh? I know exactly what you mean!"

Now, all of you are probably wondering when the rest of the cast will make an appearance. As it were, unbeknownst to Konata and Kaoru, a purple-haired demon was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. A bit of an exaggeration, but if it were Konata describing her that is exactly what she'd say. Hiiragi Kagami, with her twin sister Tsukasa, as usual, were surprised to see that Konata had, apparently, gotten ahead of them. And by ahead, I mean, they were thinking, _She has a boyfriend?_

"N-Nee-chan..."

"How long has she been seeing that guy?" Kagami wondered aloud, feeling a little envious of the blue-haired girl. For as long as she could remember, the romance in their high school lives had been depressingly lacking, so the sight of Konata having what looked like an intimate conversation (even though it was actually an "Otaku Chat" about various anime and manga) with a boy was surprising. Then again, the idea that a boy would take an interest in Konata-short, lazy, otaku Konata-was equally surprising; there was nothing really "normal" about the girl! Then again, the boy had very different hair color from what she was used to seeing; like attracts like, Kagami supposed.

"Well, I'll be seeing ya," Kaoru said to Konata with a short bow, taking his bike to the bike rack. Konata nodded and waved goodbye and continued on her way into the school, all smiles. Finally, yet another person who truly understood her passion for games, anime, and manga! And he was a third-year as well, no less! Knowing this made Konata paused and think for a moment, wondering if she'd ever seen him before. _No, his hair would definitely stand out! Hm, maybe he's a sickly student who missed a lot of school and now comes back because he's feeling better?_ Possible, but not too likely.

As Konata made her way to classroom 3-B, Kagami and Tsukasa followed discreetly behind. The blue-haired girl didn't seem to notice them, lost in her thoughts (and as sleepy) as she was. When she arrived at the classroom, there were a few minutes to spare, so Kagami joined the rest of their group in 3-B. As she entered with her sister, a girl with curly pink hair and glasses noticed them and gave a small wave. The twins walked over to her desk, and Konata joined them as they did. "Ohayou, Yuki-chan."

"Ohayou," Miyuki replied with a smile. She looked over at a sleepy Konata, who was apparently trying her hardest not to fall asleep, and Kagami, also looking at her, frowned. "Didn't you get enough sleep? Or were you up playing games again?"

"Eheheh, but I was having so much fun, Kagamin," Konata replied with sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head. "Besides, I was on a roll..."

"Yeah, yeah," Kagami interrupted, not allowing Konata to launch into a lengthy and possibly confusing dialogue about some sort of gaming thing. She planted her hands on her hips, giving the girl a stern look which melted into a smile. Oddly enough, that smile worried Konata more than her usual frown at Konata's antics. "Anyways, when did you get a boyfriend, Konata? You should've told us sooner."

"Eh?"

"That's right, it would have been nice to celebrate the moment," Tsukasa put in, positively beaming. Konata had no clue what they were talking, and then Miyuki began congratulating her too. It took a moment for her to realize that they must have seen her talking to Kaoru that morning. "No, no, you've got it all wrong. Raito-san isn't my boyfriend; I just met him this morning when he crashed his bike into me. We aren't that close."

"He crashed into you?" Tsukasa exclaimed in surprise, wondering how Konata had escaped unscathed from such an accident. But as we all know, if it's a bike then the anime characters tend to be just fine. And Lucky Star is indeed an anime (as well as a manga, and has light novels and videogames in its name, too). Kagami sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Geez, only someone like you would be unfazed by that."

Konata seemed to take this as a compliment, and Kagami sweat-dropped. She would've scolded Konata for being careless, but the morning chimes rang, signaling the start of class. Saying a quick goodbye, Kagami hurried to her own classroom, but before she entered she spotted a mess of silver hair further down the hallway chatting with Kuroi-sensei. _It's the boy from this morning!_ Wondering why he was talking to the homeroom teacher of 3-B, Kagami rushed into her own seat, glad that Sakuraba-sensei hadn't arrived yet.

She was a couple minutes late, but being a teacher had its benefits. Kuroi-sensei marched into the classroom with her usual grin, her little fang sticking out from the corner of her mouth. This fang was sometimes the topic of much discussion, as her students would wonder if she was a vampire. Not that anyone dared ask her about it. "Awrighty then, class, first I'd like to introduce to ya a new transfer student! Sure, it's a bit unusual this late in the year, but he's here!" As she began writing down the new student's name on the chalkboard, said student entered, and Konata was shocked to see that it was the silver-haired, grey-eyed boy, Raito Kaoru! _I was wrong! He's a new student!_

"Ohayou gozaimasu minna-san," Kaoru said politely, bowing low. "My name is Raito Kaoru, and I am pleased to meet you all. I hope we can all enjoy the rest of the school year together." His polite manners earned him good points with the class in general, and the flirty girls of the class wondered how they could get their hands on him. All his attention though fell on one spot in particular, as there was only one person he recognized in the entire class. _Ah, so this is Izumi-san's class? I wonder what this class is like, then, with her here..._

"Y'can go sit over... there!" Kuroi-sensei pointed, indicating an empty seat in the corner of the classroom, the furthest one in the back and furthest from the door. It looked to be a rather lonely spot, and Kaoru sweat-dropped. But he didn't argue and made his way there, giving Konata a small wink as he passed by her. She returned it with a thumbs-up, grinning broadly. If she had been glad to meet a third-year like her before, she was happier now. Of course, his manners reminded her a bit of Miyuki, which made her wonder if he was rich, too. It was possible, like so many other things in Lucky Star.

Tsukasa recognized Kaoru as the silver-haired boy she and Kagami saw walking with Konata that morning, and regarded him with a curious look. He didn't look half-bad (half-bad? This is an anime, since when _do_ any of the main characters look bad at all?), and he was very polite. She, indeed, looked forward to spending the rest of the year with him in her class. _I wonder if Kona-chan could introduce us to him during lunch..._

Miyuki, having a good memory, remembered Kaoru as the boy Konata had mentioned when they had thought she had snagged herself a boyfriend. He didn't at all look like a shady character, and he seemed to be the type anyone could trust. She also looked forward to talking to him later. _He must be a really nice guy..._

As for Konata... she fell asleep barely three minutes later. There was no need for her to speculate what he was like; he was a fellow otaku, and that was what mattered most!

Kaoru proved himself to be a good student (even though we all know he is still sleepy!) as lunch break drew nearer. Constantly jotting down notes, whenever he was called upon to answer a question he did so in a flawless manner that reminded everyone of Miyuki (except in a more confident tone). Miyuki herself was impressed, while on the other hand Konata and Tsukasa were absolutely awe-struck. Well, mostly Tsukasa as Konata was asleep for the most part and paid little attention, if any at all.

Finally the lunch bell chimed, Konata waking up instantly at the sound of it and waving Kaoru over. The silver-haired boy nodded and grinned, walking over with his bento lunch box in hand. Everyone grabbed some desks and grouped them into a larger space, which increased when Kagami came over from her class. She was surprised to see that Kaoru was in 3-B, but nevertheless happy to meet him. Normally one would assume that Kaoru would be off in dreamland, being the only boy among a group of four beautiful girls. But as it were, Kaoru didn't change at all, though there probably were some boys who would love to switch places with him. Well, maybe not to where he was seated; Kaoru had chosen to sit next to Konata, and everyone knew how much of an otaku she was.

"It is very nice to meet all of you, Takara-san, Hiiragi-san and Hiiragi-san," Kaoru said with a polite bow, a cheerful grin never leaving his face. Then, tilting his head to one side, he asked, "Forgive me if I'm being a bit rude, but is it alright for me to call you Tsukasa-san and Kagami-san? It'll get a bit confusing if I have to call you by your last name..."

"Don't worry about it," Konata said lazily, opening her bento box. "No need to be so formal."

Kaoru blinked for a moment, hesitating. "Well... so it's all right for me to call you Konata-san? Kagami-san? Tsukasa-san? Miyuki-san?"

"Certainly," Miyuki answered, reaching over and patting his hand. She smiled at him, glad that her first impression of Kaoru had been correct; he really was a nice guy. Tsukasa voiced her agreement as well, but Konata gave him a small frown before she smiled and began eating. "Don't be so shy, Kaoru. You don't have to use honorifics."

"Only if he wants to be as rude as you," Kagami commented with a sigh, before turning to Kaoru and giving him a warm smile. "Don't mind her; Konata is just Konata. Anyways, you can use '-chan' for me; I won't mind at all." _And this is the first time a boy has actually been included in our little group! This could take some getting used to..._

"Thanks, Kagami-chan," Kaoru said, trying it out. Deciding he preferred it, he grinned. "This is a very interesting school; I don't think I've ever had a teacher at all like Kuroi-sensei. Back at my old school, things weren't nearly so interesting. Kinda got a little boring, you could say."

"What school did you go to before you moved?" Tsukasa asked as she ate, wondering what sort of school allowed Kaoru's unusual hair color. Then again, there were all sorts of hair colors here, so perhaps it wasn't quite so unusual. Her answer came soon enough, as Kaoru finished off a bite of his food. Kagami noticed how neat and well-prepared his bento was and felt a bit jealous. Even he was apparently better at housework than she was.

"I attended Tsukiomi Private High School," Kaoru said with a firm nod, and he laughed. "They're a bit stricter there than here, but I think I like this place more. Did oyu know that there had actually been some murder cases there? My parents got worried and decided to move, which explains why I'm here so late in the year."

"Murder, eh? Heheh," Konata said with a gleam in her eyes, the sort that usually appeared whenever she was about to talk about anime. "Was there some sort of high school detective there working on the cases, like Kudo Shi*** or Kindaichi Ha****?" Her eyes were positively shining with excitement as she awaited Kaoru's answer. The boy laughed again, shaking his head ruefully.

"I wish. Too bad you only tend to see really good high school detectives in anime or TV mystery dramas," he replied with yet another laugh. Konata had noticed this habit already, so she didn't mind it at all. The others on the other hand were a little surprised, but decided not to question it. Besides, all of them had their own odd habits so it shouldn't really be surprising that another was added to their group who also had a weird habit, right?

"But it's scary to hear that there have been students murdered at your old school, Kaoru-san," Tsukasa said with a nervous tone in her voice.

"That is rather worrying," Miyuki agreed, wondering how bad it must have been for such things to happen. As if reading her thoughts, though, Kaoru said, "Overall, though, the school is fine. I still wonder why there had been those deaths, though..."

"Maybe the Blade Children did it," Konata said in an ominous tone, and Kagami shot the otaku an annoyed glare. "You watch way too much anime, Konata."

Kaoru laughed yet again and smiled at Kagami. "Aw, come on now, Kagami-chan. You can never watch too much anime..."

"Heh," Konata said with the air of the victorious. Kagami huffed in annoyance, and Kaoru continued with what he was saying.

"...So long as it doesn't get in the way of your studies."

"See?" Kagami gave Konata a knowing grin, the latter shrugging and going back to her food; she still appeared to have a rather pouty expression, though. This interaction between the two was too much for Kaoru; he broke down laughing, so hard tears began welling up in his eyes. They were all surprised by this, but the greater shock came when he suddenly fell out of his chair with a loud thud. Tsukasa leaned over, looking very concerned. "Are you okay Kaoru-san?"

"N-No worries," Kaoru managed to gasp, catching his breath. He had managed to stop laughing, and got back into his seat with a grin. "It just happens sometimes. I can't control myself when I see something that tickles my funny bone!" He paused, looking a bit worried all of a sudden. "Erm, you don't find it too annoying do you?"

"If you hang out with Konata, you tend to get used to random things happening," Kagami commented, and Konata looked a bit offended. "So don't worry about it, Kaoru-san."

"Ah, that's great!" Kaoru laughed, relieved. "And call me 'Kaoru-kun' or something like that. It's not fair that you have to use '-san' while I use '-chan' Kagami-chan. We're friends now, aren't we?"

"Oh, uh, y-yeah," Kagami replied, looking away with her cheeks tinged a very light shade of pink. Luckily for her, she wasn't teased all because no one noticed this; and remember, it is only in anime and manga that things are so convenient. And, since this is an anime (or at least a story based upon an anime), Kagami had very little idea as to why she was blushing, though naturally she might realize later. As it were, Kaoru was quickly getting along better and better with the girls as lunch break wore on. The end of lunch bell chimed, and Kagami stood to go back to her class. But Konata grabbed onto the girl's wrist, not wanting to let go for a certain reason... "Kagamin, let's go to Animate today."

"Eh? Don't you usually want to go to Gamers? And even if you answer that, my answer is no!"

"Aww, why not, Kagamin?"

"I would like to go too, if it is alright," Kaoru put in, putting away his bento. He smiled warmly at Kagami, a smile that began to slowly change her mind. "But I don't really know where it is..."

Kagami seemed to consider this, and then she gave in completely. "Fine, but only because Kaoru-kun wants to go, too."

"Ah, is there some special reason for that?" Konata teased, and Kagami's face turned a bright shade of crimson.

"N-No, of course not! See you after school!" Kagami said in annoyance, the door slamming shut behind her. Konata let out a small chuckle, and Tsukasa looked on blankly, not quite sure what just happened. Kaoru looked about as confused as Tsukasa did, while Miyuki just hid a small smile. It wasn't often they'd get to see Kagami get flustered in such a way.

"So you know Animate?" Konata asked Kaoru as they walked to their seats; his was close to hers, so it was no problem. He nodded, explaining, "I heard of it from this guy in the MMO I play-the game I mentioned this morning-and he was so fired up about it, I decided I might as well see what it's like. Which reminds me... do you know any good places to work? I really need money before Comiket comes around, or else I won't have much to spend at all."

"Well, all I know is the cosplay cafe that I work at," Konata replied as she got into her seat. Kaoru hung aorund a bit longer, in order to get his answer. "If you like cosplaying-and if the manager decides to hire you-I guess you could work there. But I dunno if the manager'll hire a male waiter..."

"I've worked at one before," Kaoru replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Would you mind showing me where it is later? Hmmm... and in return for such a kind favor, I'll let you borrow any anime-or game-of your choice! I have quite the collection, y'know."

Konata's eyes lit up with a sparkle, and she smiled brightly at her fellow otaku. "Deal! I'll even put in a good word to the manager for you before I take you there!"

"So... what's the theme, anyways?"

"Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu! But we do other anime, too," she added with a grin.

"Cool!" Kaoru and Konata probably would've gone into a lengthy conversation about their favorite characters in the anime, moments, factors, and other little details if Kuroi-sensei hadn't interrupted. A ruler flew at Kaoru's head, and he barely managed to duck in time; it sailed over him, embedding itself in the wall. "Class is starting! Get back to your seat!"

"Sorry, Kuroi-sensei!" Kaoru apologized, giving Konata a conspiratorial wink before heading all the way to his desk. Konata winked back, quite satisfied with the deal. _Oh... maybe I should've asked what anime he's got.. ah well!_

School seemed to pass by slowly as time wore on. Finally the final bell of the day chimed, and everyone began putting their things away, and the noise in the room increased in volume as students began chatting. Kaoru yawned and stretched his arms, glad that school was over. He was eager to go to Animate, particularly because he would be going with two new friends. _Although I'm surprised we became friends so fast... hm, people here must be nicer than I thought! but then, Miyuki-san seems like the kind of person oyu can get along with easily, same for Tsukasa-san. Konata is... well, she's also an otaku and that's all I need to know! Kagami-chan is probably a bit strict, but she seems good nevertheless._

"Kaoru!" Hearing his name called, the silver-haired otaku looked up to see Konata waving at him from her position by the door. Grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he was making his way over to her when he heard a scream and looked just in time to see a flash of short purple hair topped with a pale yellow bow before something-or rather, someone-crashed into him and sent them both falling to the ground. Flat on his back, Kaoru groaned as he attempted to sit up, only to find himself unable to due to the weight of a body pressing down on him. Hearing a snicker, his eyes traveled over to a certain blue-haired otaku girl staring down at him and grinning broadly. His eyes traveled a bit more to see Miyuki looking concerned, and then his eyes returned to the fellow otaku. It was then he realized something very embarrassing. "Konata..."

"Yeah?"

"Um..." He blushed and averted his gaze to instead stare at the dazed girl who was lying on top of him, restricting his movement. "C-Could you move, please? With your current position, I can kinda... well, see something I probably shouldn't... you know, shouldn't be staring at..." Still looking at the girl on top of him, he soon realized it was Tsukasa... and realized how embarrassing their current position was. Meanwhile, Konata took a moment to figure out what he was talking about before her face turned red and she took a couple steps back. But she soon began grinning again, and she crouched down, still staring down at the otaku. He did his best to ignore her, instead trying to figure out how to bring the still-dazed Tsukasa back to her senses. "Oy, Tsukasa-san... Tsukasa-san... TSUKASA-CHAN!"

"Eh? W-What?" That startled the girl enough that she snapped out of her daze and pushed herself up; this also made her realize she was lying right on top of Kaoru, and with her new position their faces were mere inches away from each other. Blushing deeply, Tsukasa quickly jumped to her feet, unable to look at him. Kaoru felt the same way as he stood, brushing himself off. _I was right... things here never get boring..._

"S-Sorry Kaoru-san!" Tsukasa exclaimed in a panic, fidgeting. Being the otaku that he is, Kaoru found her embarrassment rather cute; the only thing that concerned him was why she had crashed into him in the first place. Unlike him (as he remembered that morning's events) she didn't seem at all sleepy. As if reading his mind, Konata chuckled and explained things to him. "Tsukasa is pretty clumsy, so she tends to fall down a lot. Hmmm..." Konata regarded Kaoru and Tsukasa with gleaming eyes, a look that made him a bit suspicious. "This is the sort of event that triggers a flag in a game!" she observed, and Kaoru couldn't help but laugh.

"Spoken like a true expert, I guess."

"Hey, Kaoru-kun, Konata, what's taking you so long?" Kagami walked into the classroom, an annoyed expression on her face. Planting a hand on her hip, she frowned at the two otaku and gave them a stern glare. "It's rude to keep someone waiting. I would have expected this from Konata, but you, too, Kaoru-kun?"

"Sorry, it's just that there was a small accident," Kaoru told her with a laugh, deciding it might be safer for his health if he didn't go into detail. He'd learned during lunch that Kagami and Tsukasa were fraternal twins, with the former considered the older of the two. From his experience with anime and manga, Kaoru had the feeling (he also knew from personal experience) that what happened there was also true in real life: Older siblings were almost always protective of their younger brothers and/or sisters, sometimes overly so. It would be disastrous to risk his friendship with her over such a small thing.

Kagami nodded, not knowing what had happened but privately resolving to ask her sister or Miyuki later. They'd probably tell her; Konata, on the other hand, might not. "Well, come on then. I'm not gonna wait forever."

"O-kay!" Konata shouted, pumping a fist in the air. She whirled around and, grabbing Kaoru by the sleeve of his shirt, proceeded to drag him over to the door with her. "Let's go, Kaoru, Kagamin!"

Sighing in exasperation, Kagami looked at her sister and said, "Tsukasa, I might be home a little late, considering I'm going to be stuck with two otaku. Go on home without me, okay?" Tsukasa nodded and, accepting that answer, Kagami quickly ran after the two otaku, her voice echoing down the hall as she shouted at them. "Wait up! I know you're excited but wait for me, will you?"

"Things seem to be becoming more interesting with Kaoru-san here," Miyuki commented with a smile as she and Tsukasa stepped out into the hallway, "even though we only just met him today. I don't believe I've ever met anyone quite like him before."

Tsukasa just nodded, remembering the event of only a few moments earlier and blushing again. "I wonder why he's always laughing, though? Kaoru-san laughed more than I've ever heard anyone laugh in one day."

Miyuki considered this, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps he is the kind of person who is amused easily? He had said that he can't control himself when something strikes him as being funny. That could be the case, although his personality seems to change sometimes. Kaoru-san is a very interesting person."

"He is," Tsukasa agreed, wondering about what the rest of the school year would be like with Kaoru having been added to their little group. It would definitely prove to be interesting. And since this is a fanfiction based off an anime (which, incidentally, also has light novels and videogames in its name as well as a manga), that prediction would prove to be very much true.

"Yu-chan!" Konata waved at the tiny red-haired girl, her catlike smile never leaving her face. She had asked Kagami and Kaoru to wait for her while she went to tell her cousin to head home without her; after all, going shopping for anime and/or manga is a very important thing! Not to mention going shopping for anime/manga would show her what sort of otaku Kaoru was, whether he took being an otaku seriously or was just an otaku-wannabe. Kagami was coming along because... well, just because.

The little girl Konata waved to waved back, and her small figure seemed even tinier when compared to the green-haired girl standing next to her with an emotionless stare. They were Kobayakawa Yutaka and Iwasaki Minami, the former being a redhead who looked more like she belonged in an elementary school rather than high school and the latter as flat as a washing board (not to mention very self-conscious about that, too). "Onee-chan! What is it?"

"You're gonna have to go home by yourself," Konata informed her, still smiling. "I have something important I gotta do! Can you also tell 'tou-san that I'm hanging out with my friends and might not be back for a bit?"

"Why don't you call him on your cell phone?" Yutaka asked, though she had a feeling she already knew what the answer would be.

"I kinda forgot it at home," Konata explained, scratching the back of her head. "I usually don't use it, so it's pretty easy to leave it behind by accident. At least I keep the phone bill low."

"Onee-chan, what if there's an emergency and you need to call someone for help?" Yutaka asked with a worried frown. "You should try to bring it with you."

Konata just gave her a confident grin, and flexed her muscles. "No worries, Yu-chin! I'm a super-strong karate expert! I will defeat all evil that comes my way, no matter what it is! Heheheh!" Showing off her awesome skills, Konata threw a few sidekicks into the air at a fast speed, though this made some of the other first-years nearby back away a little. It wasn't that they were scared of the short otaku; rather, they didn't want to be kicked by her random strikes. Though while Yutaka was a little impressed, Minami retained her emotionless expression even though she, too, thought that Konata was pretty cool for an otaku. Done showing off, Konata dashed away with a wave. "See ya later!"

"W-Wait! Onee-chan!" Yutaka watched helplessly as her cousin ran off and sighed. "I'm going to Minami-chan's house today..."

"We can call Izumi-san when we get to my home," Minami said softly, putting a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. Yutaka looked up at her friend with shining eyes, grateful for that suggestion. It was at about that time that two other friends of Yutaka's came out of the classroom, just in time to see that small and seemingly unimportant scene. As it were, one of the pair, a meganekko with long black hair named Tamura Hiyori who just so happened to be an amateur doujinshi artist, began transforming that scene into something... more. In her imagination at least. And because of what her imagination is like, it would be better for all (well, almost all) if the following scene in her head went undescribed. For now.

The other was a short-haired blonde girl with shining blue eyes and a bust that often made Minami turn around and gloomily pat her own chest. Considering that Patricia Martin was an American transfer student, it made sense that her chest size was second only to Miyuki's. Not that either of them liked to flaunt that fact, or even acknowledge it; in Miyuki's case it was because she seemed to have no idea that she was a "walking pillar of turn-ons" as Konata liked to say. As for Patricia, she was sometimes ashamed of the fact so she never really liked talking about it at all. Like Konata, Hiyori, and Kaoru she was also an otaku, and very fluent in Japanese. She watched Hiyori in confusion as the meganekko went into a dazed, daydreaming state, suddenly snapping out of it and blushing furiously, as if emotionally conflicted. Which she most definitely was.

_To be thinking of my friends in that way! I'm such a pervert..._

A little depressed now, Hiyori and Patricia walked over to their friends, greeting them as usual. And, just like usual, Yutaka was the only one to both wave and say "Hello" while Minami just nodded. At least she acknowledged their existence. Hiyori shook herself out of her depression just in time to see a flash on long blue hair disappear around the corner. Pointing at where it had been, she asked, "Was that Izumi-sempai just now?"

"Yeah. Onee-chan said she had something important to do, so I'd have to tell her dad that she'd probably be home later than usual," Yutaka explained, and Patricia grinned knowingly. This expression did not escape the notice of the transfer student's friends, as they all gave her confused, inquiring looks. "Patty-chan, why are you smiling like that?..."

"Oh, it's just that I saw sempai with a boy this morning," Patricia told them; this piece of information startled the other girls, and Patricia nodded firmly. "It's true, I saw her walking into the school with a boy this morning! They seemed to be really close, too... hey, have you ever heard Izumi-sempai talking about a boy at all? Or even mentioning him?"

"No," Yutaka answered simply, but she became rather thoughtful as she put her focus on the idea. "Maybe she has a secret boyfriend?"

"We should ask the other sempai, too," Hiyori suggested, becoming more interested in the situation. Obviously such a thing might provide more ideas for a doujinshi, something she was in desperate need of. Yutaka and Minami were good enough to give her some ideas, but she needed to broaden her horizons. Trying to make a plot involving a boy/girl relationship wouldn't be too tough, would it? "They might know something."

"But is it polite to intrude on sempai's privacy?" Minami asked softly, and this made all of them think. Was it really best to ask her friends instead of asking Konata directly? A bit of a difficult question...

Going back a bit to before Konata had gone to the first-year classrooms to talk to her cousin, Kagami and Kaoru were walking over to the school gates, the former looking a bit annoyed while the latter was casually observing his surroundings with a smile. The reason for Kagami's annoyance was that Konata had asked them to wait for her at the school gates; as if they weren't taking long enough already! They did have homework to finish after all, although it was more than likely that Konata would simply ask to copy her homework instead of do it herself. Sighing in annoyance, she glanced over at her silver-haired companion, who was currently observing the steady flow of students coming out the door who didn't have after-school clubs to attend.

It felt... different, just standing there in close proximity with a boy who had already permitted her to call him by his first name, and using the honorific "-kun" no less! She was used to being around members of the opposite sex, considering the amount of partner work one would sometimes often have to do. Except that those were just classmates, people she was used to and knew but not too closely. Kaoru was different. He was already a genuine _friend_ showing every possibility of growing closer to them. Naturally Kagami wondered why Kaoru had been so willing to join their group, considering all of them were _girls_ after all and would probably have made him a bit uncomfortable, but after some thought pegged it on the fact that he was a new student. Of course he would have been eager to find new friends; unfortunately, she could think up a number of rumors that could pop up later down the road. _And not all of them are good..._

"Kagami-chan," Kaoru said suddenly, bringing the twin-tailed girl out of her thoughts. He looked at her with that everlasting smile, but he apparently had a serious question due to the look in his eyes. "How big of a gamer are you?"

Or perhaps not... "W-Why?" Kagami had been completely taken by surprise by his question, as out of the blue as it were. But that serious look in his eyes (and combining it with his smile, it was rather odd) stayed, and made her feel as if she were under some sort of giant microscope. Not exactly the most comfortable of feelings.

"I was thinking that since you know Konata-and apparently she's a very big gamer-there was a chance that you might be just as big on games. However... I'm not exactly getting that sort of impression so I was just wondering..."

"Well, I doubt anyone could be like Konata when it comes to games," Kagami laughed, some of the tension easing away. The look in his eyes had dimmed somewhat, and she no longer felt like she was under a huge magnifying lens. "I do play games, too, after I finish my homework. I like playing shooting games, but I sometimes play other kinds."

"What kinds of shooting games?" Kaoru was intrigued by her answer, having not expected that sort of answer from a girl. Most of the girls he had known back at Tsukiomi, except for a couple fellow otaku, didn't like to play that sort of game, if they played at all. It was a nice change to meet a female who liked it (but he knew that Kagami was most likely not the only one in this "unique" school who played shooters).

"Um... there are different kinds?" The surprise on the boy's voice was blatantly obvious to Kagami, and she realized there was probably more to gaming than she had originally thought, even if hanging out with Konata should have already given her that impression. Or rather, she had not thought there were different kinds of shooting games. Out of the blue, Kaoru began laughing, and though she knew this as a habit of his (since he had admitted it himself) she still blushed furiously. "Well sorry I didn't know better! All I know is that if a game has guns, it's usually good enough for me!"

"S-Sorry," Kaoru managed to gasp out, attempting to control his laughter. It was only for a miniscule fraction that his reason was because she knew so little about the shooter genre's subtypes. What really tickled his funny bone was imagining Kagami carrying some sort of submachine gun, hiding it within a violin case before bringing it out to shoot the baddies, among other sorts of gun-related images that flashed in his mind. After a minute he was able to regain his composure, grinning at the embarrassed and annoyed girl. "Well, there's third person shooters, first person shooters, scrolling shooters, tube shooters, run and guns, and the ever-infamous _danmaku._ Oh, and before I forget I should also mention cute 'em ups. Although I think you'd might want to be careful about the last type..."

"And that's because?"

Kaoru coughed uncomfortably for a moment, debating whether to tell her. "Well... I've noticed that there tends to be some... er, some _suggestive_ themes in those..." Realizing exactly what Kaoru meant, Kagami's face turned a bright crimson color, completely shocked. _T-There's actually that sort of shooting game? What are people thinking these days..._

Quickly changing the topic, which was the wisest decision by the way, Kaoru said, "It's kinda annoying though that people tend to pin habits on the sort of videogames that person plays. I've heard of stories where mass murderers were that way because they played really violent, bloody games, while for otaku such as I-and Konata, might I add-others think we're perverts! It's annoying to no end..."

"I've heard of stories like those," Kagami put in, glad for a change in topic. Just thinking about what sort of things "cute 'em ups" might have in them would probably having put her off games for awhile. "Like once where the police found a lot of anime and manga stuff in a criminal's house and decided he might be connected to several other cases based on that. Konata was annoyed, too, when we talked about it a little."

Kaoru sighed, scratching the back of his head. "But there isn't really any sort of scientific evidence that that could ever be the case. So long as one has set a firm line between reality and fantasy, or at least still recognizes right from wrong, there's no problem playing a bloody game. Although, I think there's this one game you might enjoy, Kagami-chan. It's a pretty fun first-person shooter, and the controls are easy to get used to."

"What is it called?"

"It's a game called _Halo 3_, and it's fun as hell to play. It was released some time ago, but it's very addictive, just as much as the first two _Halo_ games if not more so." Kaoru grinned proudly, flashing Kagami the victory sign, parting his fingers into a V. "Before it came out I was a bit worried I might have had to have someone install a mod-chip into my console."

Kagami was unfamiliar with that term, giving him a questioning look. "Mod-chip?"

"Well, just about every console except the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP has a regional lockout which prevents someone from playing a game on it that's not from the country that the console was made in. And since _Halo 3_ is a game for the Xbox 360-which unfortunately _does_ have a regional lockout-I would've had to pay someone to install a mod-chip, which allows the playing of games from other countries. I would have done it myself if I had the technological skills, though... luckily I had no need to."

"Wait a minute..." Kagami gave the silver-haired otaku a fierce glare, one which made him wonder if he had said something he shouldn't have. That was the problem with being a guy; he could never understand the thoughts of girls. And from what he knew, it was a trait males of every species shared. "You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

"No, actually, although there is some debate about a mod-chip's legality. Currently, though, it's considered within the law so I won't be going to jail for being caught with one," Kaoru explained, and the tsundere smiled in relief. "So, anyways, sound like a fun game? You can choose from heavy weapons like the rocket launcher, long-range like the beam rifle, medium range such as the SMG or the plasma rifle, and even pretty good short range weapons like the plasma sword or the shotgun. There's also vehicles, various kinds of grenades, some power-ups, and stages that make gameplay even more interesting."

"I guess..." Before Kagami could say anything else Konata had arrived, and the sudden appearance of her smiling face startled them. They had not noticed her approach, which meant they had probably been more into their conversation than they had thought. Quickly recovering from her surprise, Kagami glared at the grinning otaku, a glare which the girl pointedly ignored. "Ready to go Kagamin? Kaoru?"

"We are," Kaoru answered for both himself and Kagami, and Konata's grin grew.

"Right! Let's go!" Grabbing Kaoru by the sleeve of his uniform, she proceeded to drag him in the direction of the train station, with Kagami following close behind. It was an odd situation being dragged by a girl nearly half your height, but he supposed that it only added to the uniqueness of his new school. _This year will be interesting indeed..._

**Author's Notes: Right, here is my very first Lucky Star fanfic! Not bad, eh? Don't worry, more chapters are due pretty soon, and I'll try to bring Misao and Ayano into the picture as well. Oh, and for those of you wondering, I also wonder who Kaoru-kun might end up with, since this is a romance fic. It's interesting to think about... *realizes* Ack! About my CCS fic "The Falling Darkness"... I'm in a creative slump about it, so please don't kill me, those of you readers who also read it! And until I get more cries for it to continue, it might die off as my enthusiasm for the project dies... *sighs* Anyways, I'll put some notes and tell you what references were made in this chapter after the notes. Oh, and it might take awhile for each chapter, considering I'm trying to make each one as long as I can. *waves* Bye-ni!**

**HIKAWA CHOP! Took out the Author Notes that stood out significantly in the middle of the chapter due to complaints (won't make that mistake ever again). Oh, and "HIKAWA CHOP!" signifies I've made an edit. Why am I telling you this? For future reference and in case anyone asks.**

**Notes/References**

"Gintama": Do you know what the title of this anime/manga means?

"Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna": How many of you guys noticed this reference? I made several references to that anime/manga here.

"Meitantei Conan": Konata had mentioned a "Kudo Shi****"

"Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo": If you haven't read this manga or seen the anime, read/watch it! Epic in my opinion

meganekko: Your typical anime glasses girl (_attractive_ glasses girl; but then, since when is there ever an anime girl who ain't cute?). Both Miyuki-chan and Hiyori-chan fall int othis category, especially Miyuki-chan. She certainly is a "walking pillar of turn-ons" as Konata says...

"Gunslinger Girl": Just look right where Kaoru's imagination gets the better of him...

Tube shooters: Simply put, they feature craft flying through an abstract tube.

_danmaku_: Literally meaning "barrage" or "bullet curtain" this kind of game often has the screen _filled_ with enemy bullets. Ow.

"Cute 'em Ups": This kind really does exist! They feature brightly colored graphics depicting surreal settings and enemies. Newer ones tend to employ overtly sexual characters and innuendo, which might explain why Kaoru-kun was so hesitant in giving Kagami-chan such info... probably not a game you'd want to be caught playing.

_Halo 3_: And my favorite shooter, might I add. Personally I prefer sniping, but I wonder what sort of weapons Kaoru-kun and Kagami-chan might prefer?

Mod-chips: I looked up their legal status and found they really aren't considered illegal in court. Sure, installing one would void the manufacture's warranty on the console, but a true otaku wouldn't care about that. I wouldn't know much about obtaining one, since the only Japanese games I own are for the computer; computers don't have regional lockout. All I gotta do is download the English patch for each game, anyways. (I'm Japanese, yet I'm not fluent in my ancestors' language? I feel great shame...)

Region Lockout: Not sure why consoles even have this stupid thing. It sucks, since then I'd have to buy a whole new PS2 from Japan (or install a mod-chip; I like neither option) just to play the visual novels that come out for the PS2 like "Lucky Star: Ryōō Gakuen Ōtōsai"... it sucks big time...

"Soul Eater": In the Author's Notes. Anyone who has read/seen it should instantly recognize the reference without me having needed to say anything.


	2. Same, Yet Different

Disclaimer: Um, Lucky Star and anything associated with it ain't mine... and I find that it really is hard to wish three times on a shooting star before it's gone! (0_0)

* * *

II: Same, Yet Different

If the day were interesting so far, Kaoru probably would have found it even better if he had noticed the current scene going on in the background. As it were, he was as oblivious as Konata to the actions of the employees of Animate, and only Kagami had a sneaking suspicion that something was up. Not that she had any idea as to what was going on. From behind the counter, manning the cash register, a certain man with wild black hair (and drawn in quite a different style from the rest of the Lucky Star cast) eyed the three teens, all the while discreetly sending orders through a walkie-talkie. "Find out her objective! We may have failed last time, but now... VICTORY SHALL BE OURS!!!"

"Yes, sah!" One of the employees peered around a bookshelf, singling out Konata, aka "Legendary Girl A." His sharp eyes didn't fail to notice her companions, a tall silver-haired boy and an annoyed purple-haired girl, all of them checking out the manga section. "Tenchou, Legendary Girl A is accompanied by two others! Should we worry about them, sah?!"

"FOCUS ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION ON PRIMARY TARGET!" Anizawa Meito roared into the walkie-talkie, not being too discreet anymore (if he even had been in the first place). "WHEN SHE BUYS SOMETHING, THEY SHALL FOLLOW SUIT! WE SHALL NOT LET OUR HARD WORK BE FOR NAUGHT!! QUICKLY, PUT OUT ALL OUR LATEST VOLUMES TO THE FRONT! SPREAD THE FLYERS!"

"Yes sah!" Two female employees moved at a speed so quick they appeared as nothing more than slight blurs to anyone who happened to see them. In a flash the latest volume of every manga was moved to the front of each stack, flyers posted all over featuring the releases of the latest manga. This was certain to get Legendary Girl A's attention! "Deployment complete sah!"

Meanwhile, Kaoru blinked as he looked back at the shelves, wondering how in the world there were suddenly shiny new volumes lined up all along the bookshelves. But he didn't complain as the newest volume of "Hagane no Renkinjutsushi" caught his eye, and the otaku picked it up, looking it over. The employees paid little attention to him as their eyes were constantly on Konata, who was browsing the shelves still. Finally, she lifted the most recent volume of "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu" from the shelf and looked it over. This led to a cheer from the employee observing her. "Tenchou, she's picked up an item!!"

This elicited an excited, fiery cheer from Meito, as he pumped his fists in the air in victory. "YES!! I'VE FINALLY BECOME A WINNER TODAY! COMRADES, WE SHALL FINALLY HAVE A CELEBRATION IN VICTORY TONIGHT!!" This brought on more cheers from the other employees, as all of them cried tears of extreme joy. Oddly enough, none of the trio noticed any of this, not even Kagami. But it was her who asked Konata the question that ruined everything. "Didn't you buy that one already?"

Konata paused, staring at the cover of the manga as she processed the question. "Oh yeah. I already have this."

Tears of joy turned into bitter tears of pain when she put the volume back on the shelf. "T-Tenchou, it was a feint! The primary objective of Legendary Girl A isn't manga after all!"

"DON'T GIVE UP! THERE'S STILL THE DVD SECTION!" Meito shouted into the walkie-talkie, clenching a fist in determination. "BLOCK OFF ALL SIDE PATHS AND MAKE SURE LEGENDARY GIRL A HEADS STRAIGHT FOR THE NEW DVD SECTION!!"

"So which is your favorite series anyways, Konata?" Kaoru asked as their little group moved out of the manga section of the store, slowly making their way towards the DVDs. He was holding several volumes of manga in his hand, as he had had some shopping to catch up on. Moving had messed up his buying schedule, so he'd have to work on a new one. The blue-haired otaku answered Kaoru's question without hesitation, "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, of course! I really envy Haruhi, I'd like to be a brigade chief, too."

"Hadn't that been on your list of the jobs you wanted?" Kagami smirked, and Konata simply shrugged it off without answering. The male employee overheard this, and readily informed the manager of this new information. Meito slammed a palm on the counter, bellowing new orders into the walkie-talkie. "CHANGE OF PLANS, LOCATE ALL HARUHI-RELATED ITEMS AND MOVE THEM INTO A NEW SECTION! MAKE CERTAIN THAT LEGENDARY GIRL A GOES STRAIGHT THERE!"

"Yes sah!" With the speed and stealth of a ninja, the employees of Animate quickly gathered up all Haruhi-related merchandise they could find in the store and grouped it into one special section, and at Meito's command included a special fifteen-percent off discount sale just to be safe. As Konata and her companions were about to head into the DVD section, they found their path blocked off by a seemingly confused employee carrying a big box of items. They turned to take another path, and found that way blocked, too, by employees rearranging the shelves. "Is it always like this?" Kaoru asked, scratching the back of his head as the group moved only to find another path blocked off.

"Sometimes," Konata answered simply, turned to find a new route. It was then her eyes caught a glimpse of something absolutely beautiful. It was a flyer featuring an image of Haruhi and the rest of the SOS Brigade, with the former pointing at the reader and commanding that they buy some of her fifteen-percent off discount merchandise. Her eyes gleaming, Konata followed the arrows conveniently set up by the employees, dragging Kaoru and Kagami with her. An employee grinned, announcing into his walkie-talkie, "Tenchou, she's headed right for the Haruhi section! And... she's picked up the latest DVD release! She and her companions are heading for the register!"

"YEEEES!!!" Meito cheered, his fists clenched in victory. "FINALLY WE ARE VICTORIOUS! NO LONGER SHALL WE BE PLAGUED BY FAILURE! OUR NAMES SHALL FOREVER GO DOWN IN HISTORY FROM THIS MOMENT ON!!"

Konata and Kaoru, being the only ones with items to purchase, approached the counter. Cheerfully Meito rang up Konata's item, and as the girl opened her purse to pay for it she noticed something very wrong. "Ah... I only have a thousand yen..."

Just as Meito and company were about to explode from their failure, Kaoru stepped forward with a grin and placed his items on the counter. "No worries, Konata. I'll pay for it along with my own stuff." Konata regarded her fellow otaku with shining eyes, dramatic tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you, Kaoru-sama!"

"Ahahaha... no problem," Kaoru said as his items were rung up as well. Taking out his wallet, he began to take out what money he had. Meito and the other employees watched anxiously as Kaoru placed yen into the payment tray. It seemed forever until... "Oh... I'm a yen short..."

"Eh, we can come back later when you've got more and buy it all," Konata shrugged, sighing in disappointment. As she turned she waved lazily at the employees. "Sorry, please put those back." When the door closed behind the trio, the roar of an explosion resounded through store as Meito cried, "THEY'D BETTER RETUUUUUURN!!"

"Oi, Konata, Kaoru-kun, why didn't you just put one of the items back and pay for the others?" Kagami asked, a little annoyed that they had gone to Animate for nothing. In the end, the whole trip had proved to be a waste of time. Konata gave Kagami one of those "you just don't understand us otaku" looks, while Kaoru explained his opinions. "Well, Kagami-chan, the thing is that it's much better to buy it all at once instead of a bit at a time because then it's easier to plan out the next shopping trip. You can regulate your money that way, because who knows when an unexpected purchase pops up the next time. Like when you go shopping for groceries; you don't buy some items one moment and then the rest the next, do you?"

"No, but your plan still doesn't make much sense," Kagami answered, sweat-dropping. At this Kaoru laughed, grinning broadly. "I guess it doesn't after all, huh?"

"But it's a good plan!" Konata exclaimed, giving Kaoru a thumbs-up in approval of such a plan. "Isn't it annoying, though, when you plan out your next trip and bring just enough to pay for your stuff when you find something unexpected that you want to buy?"

"Oh yeah, that is annoying," Kaoru agreed, nodding vigorously. "One time I had went to a store to buy the latest volumes of some manga I was reading, when I found out that there was another new volume released for another series I hadn't planned on buying a volume for. I wanted it, but I didn't have enough money on me... really messed up my schedule!"

"You must be a really organized person, huh, Kaoru-kun? Different from someone else I know," Kagami added slyly, throwing a knowing smirk at Konata. The short otaku just gave Kagami one her of usual catlike smiles, shaking her head in disagreement. "That's not true at all, Kagamin. All of my anime and manga are arranged alphabetically and by volume number, and I always know where my games are."

"So basically you're only organized when it comes down to your anime and games..."

"Most people tend to be like that, though," Kaoru commented, a thoughtful grin on his face. "If they try to be organized with something that doesn't interest them, it's a little difficult. It's easier to be organized when it's with something you actually like, although it's a pain if your notes don't have some sort of order. that just makes it harder to do your homework."

"Well, I have no worries," Konata said proudly, thumping her chest proudly with a small fist. "My notes are perfectly organized!"

"Kaoru-kun," Kagami whispered, beckoning the silver-haired otaku closer, whispering, "Whatever you do, _don't_ ever borrow Konata's notes. If you ever need to borrow notes, ask Miyuki-san if you can borrow hers, or you can ask me for mine. Trust me on this one."

Deciding against asking questions, Kaoru just nodded. Silently he wondered if Konata's notes really were as bad as Kagami claimed, and then wondered if he should risk it if the time ever came that'd he'd need to borrow notes. "If you aren't the kind who can take notes too well, I've found that it helps to record the lecture while jotting down the notes that're on the blackboard. I've done it myself several times."

"I see, I see," Konata muttered under her breath, considering that plan. "That actually sounds pretty good."

"Kuroi-sensei might take the tape recorder away if she sees it, though," Kagami said, and Kaoru took this into consideration.

"I suppose she might. It's always best to ask permission to record the lesson first, though, just in case. I remember my teachers back at Tsukiomi allowed us to record their lessons. It's a tactic more often used in universities, but for some students they might need a tape recorder for high school."

"So you're the kind who needs one?" Kagami asked with a frown, and Kaoru laughed. "Only at Tsukiomi; the teachers there tended to be rather long-winded, so it was kinda tough getting everything down. Here, though, it's not as bad."

"Tsukiomi was where you had said some students were murdered, right?" Konata asked in a nonchalant manner, and the silver-haired otaku nodded in reply. Putting a hand thoughtfully to her chin, Konata seemed to go into deep thought. "Cases like that are perfect oppurtunities for high school detectives like Kyu or Katsuragi Y*** to make themselves known. A supposedly unsolvable crime, the criminal caught in the tangled webs of their own lies!"

"Get back to reality, Konata," Kagami said with a sweat-drop, shaking her head at the otaku. "No one is _that_ good, or at least not any high schooler. Even for the police they need an entire team of people to solve cases."

"True, but there are private detectives who actually deserve the title," Kaoru remarked, looking thoughtful as he did. "I've heard of one person who used to be a British special forces operative that goes around the world, sometimes solving murders while sometimes also foiling terrorist plots. Apparently, though, he works as an insurance invesigator, so I guess he doesn't count as a private detective."

"Wouldn't it be cool to be one?" Konata began, her eyes gleaming as her imagination went on overdrive. "Each day would bring exciting new cases, and we'd solve each one with a dramatic 'You did it!' and point at the mastermind behind the entire thing! Everyone would be so impressed by our skills that they'd beg us to solve cases for them; the police force would begin calling us the 'Divine Brains'! There won't be a single person who doesn't know our name!"

"I doubt you'd ever become a famous detective," Kagami told Konata without hesitation, and the otaku acted as if the twin-tail's words had been a knife to the heart. "Besides, criminals never use such complicated schemes in real life like in TV dramas and anime."

"That's probably because they're lazy, and good thing, too, or else we'd be overrun with unsolved cases," Kaoru commented with a laugh, then his expression grew serious. "But it must be tough being a detective. So much pressure on you to solve the case, and what if the perpetrator was someone you knew, a good friend for example? Then what would you do?"

"I would do as the great detective Kudo would; search every possibility to make sure it's not them!" Konata proclaimed proudly, then her expression turned thoughtful. "But I guess being a detective would be too much work. Hmmm..."

And while Kagami, Kaoru, and Konata were in Ikebukuro, Yutaka had attempted several times to call Sōjirō after arriving at Minami's mansion, but had had no luck at all. It seemed as if he weren't at home (although this wasn't true at all), but she decided to try call him one more time. Slowly she dialed the number, and waited for the phone to be picked up, if not by Sōjirō than by the answering machine. To her surprise, the phone was finally picked up by the old otaku. "Hello, this is the Izumi residence, Sōjirō speaking."

"It's me, Yutaka!"

"Ah, Yu-chan, so it was you who called."

"Huh?"

"Well," here his voice sounded a bit sheepish, "I did hear the phone ringing, but I kept picking it up after the last ring. So, where are you?"

"I'm at Minami-chan's house! Onee-chan wanted me to tell you that she'd be out with her friends for awhile, so she might be a bit late."

"She'd better come home before it's too late; same for you, okay?"

"I will!"

"See you later then," Sōjirō said as he hung up, a smile on his face. "I hope Konata invites one of her cute friends over sometime. It's nice when the house is so lively."

If only he knew Konata had just made a new friend who happened to be a boy...

-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The next morning, Konata was more awake than she had been the previous day, as she had actually managed to get to bed at a decent time. Her gaming hadn't gone too well, especially when Kuroi-sensei made her log out and finish her homework. Naturally, considering it _is_ Konata, she hadn't finished it all, although she planned to ask Kagami if she could copy her answers. It was so useful to have a friend in another class; Kuroi-sensei would never catch her copying homework. And this time, as soon as her ears picked up the sound a bike chain turning, Konata jumped to the side and avoided a crash like the previous day.

"Ohayou, Konata!" Kaoru said cheerfully as his bike skidded to a stop, planting a foot on the pavement to keep himself up. "I see you're actually awake this morning."

"Eh, I didn't get to play on my game too long, so I had to turn in early," Konata explained as she continued walking. Getting off his bike and pushing it along, Kaoru walked next to her as they made their way to school. "You seem awake, too."

"I didn't get a chance to play," Kaoru admitted, idly scratching the back of his head and laughing. "I had to finish my homework, and then do some chores around the house. By the time I was done I knew I would stay up too late if I began playing so I just read some manga before falling asleep. That's not to say I at all regret tagging along on your trip to Animate. I had fun, even if we bought nothing."

"Kaoru-san! Kona-chan! Good morning!" The two turned to see a pair of purple-haired girls approaching them, and Kaoru waved to them. "Yo, Tsukasa-san! Kagami-chan! Good mornin' to ya!"

"You know, when you two walk to school like that it'll cause misunderstandings," Kagami informed them, and Tsukasa nodded. "Just like yesterday; people will think oyu're a ocuple if they see you."

"We're just friends, though," Kaoru said with a laugh and a dismissive wave. He didn't seem at all fazed at the thought of misunderstandings flying throughout the school. "Besides, that sort of thing happens in anime and manga all the time. And misunderstandings are just that, misunderstandings. Nothing more."

"It's not you I'm worried about suffering from misunderstandings," Kagami said, placing herh ands at her sides, "since I can't think of any guys who would take an interest in Konata. It's_ her_ I'm worried about; I saw a few girls eyeing you constantly, Kaoru-kun, so if people begin thinking you two are a couple Konata might get into big trouble."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared, Kagamin," Konata said sweetly, a broad grin on her face. "But I wouldn't worry. After all, I have karate skills none of them can match!" She threw punches and kicks into the air to emphasize her words, to which Kagami just sighed. This show of skill seemed to be good enough for Tsukasa, who just smiled.

"See, Nee-chan? Kona-chan will be fine, and so will Kaoru-san."

"I dunno... it's still a bit worrying."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Kaoru proclaimed, smartly snapping a hand to his forehead in a salute. "If something should happen, I shall risk life and limb to ensure her safety! Although it might be tough spotting Konata in a crowd."

"Why?" Tsukasa asked, shooting the boy a confused look. This prompted him to grin, and they finally took notice of a small fang protruding from his upper lip. It was odd that they'd never noticed it before.

"She's small enough to disappear into just about any crowd," Kaoru told them, and burst into laughter. At this Kagami had to laugh as well; finally, she wasn't the only one who would make cracks about Konata's height besides Misao. Konata just frowned, wagging a finger at Kaoru.

"I'm not short, I'm just... vertically challenged!" she announced, which prompted Kaoru to begin laughing again. And he was still laughing while they walked, and only stopped once they had passed through the school gates. Taking in some deep breaths, the silver-haired otaku simply grinned as they exchanged their shoes at the shoe locker. This time, the girls didn't see any sort of small fang, so perhaps it had only been a trick of the light?

Thinking about what she had been talking about with Miyuki the previous day, Tsukasa asked him, "Kaoru-san, why do you laugh so much?"

"Why, huh?" Kaoru put a thoughtful hand to his chin, considering his answer. "You know, I'm not quite sure myself. All I know is that laughing makes me feel good, takes some stress off of my shoulders."

"With your personality, I never would have thought you the kind to have much stress," Kagami commented, and at this Kaoru shook his head.

"Actually, Kagami-chan, there are different ways to get stress. There's trying to find the latest volume of a manga or newest anime DVD, worrying about what to make for dinner, finishing homework with enough time for other things, and more. Especially when you've run away..." Kaoru said the last part very softly, so softly Kagami wasn't sure if she had really heard it.

"What was that last part?" Kagami asked, but Kaoru never got to answer as Konata interrupted with a sly smile, looking at the twin-tailed girl with her hands out.

"Kagamin, can I see your homework? I need to check my answers..."

"Don't you mean you just want to copy it?"

"Same thing," Konata replied with a relaxed air, prompting a glare from the girl. But she soon gave in with a sigh, taking her notebook out of her bag and handing it to the otaku.

"This is the last time, got it?"

"Isn't that what you said last week, Nee-chan?" Tsukasa asked, and Kaoru grinned at Kagami.

"You're a good friend, Kagami-chan." At this compliment Kagami's cheeks tinged pink, and she let out a small embarrassed laugh. "Y-You think so?"

"I do."

"I didn't ask you, Konata."

"We'd better hurry to class before the bell rings," Kaoru pointed out with a grin, and they quickly ran off to get to the third-year classrooms. But they had no idea of the small group of first-year students who had been spying on them ever since they had step foot into the school, watching their every move. Unfortunately (or is that fortunately?) they had been unable to hear anything the third-years had said. Deciding to head to their class, Patricia, Hiyori, Yutaka, and Minami set off, going over what they had just seen.

"That guy sure is slick," Patricia commented, brows furrowed in thought. "Maybe he's not Konata-sempai's boyfriend, but he sure seems to be close to three out of four sempai. Who is he anyways? I've never seen him before!"

"I think he's a new student," Hiyori said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I'd heard that there was a new transfer student, and that he was pretty noticeable."

"He has silver hair! Why wouldn't that be noticeable?" Patricia exclaimed, flinging her arms out.

"Um, but you're a foreigner, Patty-chan," Yutaka reminded the girl, sweat-dropping. "You're just as noticeable." Minami nodded in agreement with the small girl's statement, and the American otaku looked thoughtful as she took this into consideration. Hiyori, on the other hand, was falling into her daydream mode, thinking about a plot for a new doujinshi. The way things were going with the sempai girls (and the new sempai boy) she might be able to do a story with a complicated love triangle. Or quadrangle. Maybe quintangle (if that's even a real word)?

"Wait a minute... I just thought of something," Patricia said with a frown, her eyes narrowing. "What if he's one of those kinds of guys who like to toy with a girl's heart? If the sempai hang out with him, they might get hurt!"

"H-Hurt?"

"It wouldn't be good to assume something about someone without getting to know them first," Minami said in her usual soft tone, prompting Yutaka to nod in agreement.

"Still..."

"We'll think about it more, Patty-chan," Hiyori told the girl as they entered the classroom, the bell chimes sounding a few seconds after. "Let's meet the new sempai after school; then we'll see."

When lunch break came around it was to find Kaoru staring intently at Konata, a serious look in his grey eyes. This was unusual, as none of the girls had seen Kaoru stare at someone like that before (even if they hadn't known him that long yet), although Konata herself seemed to take no notice as she munched away at her chocolate cornet. The little group ate in silence, Tsukasa and Miyuki exchanging confused looks every now and then while Kagami frowned at the two otaku. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, the tsunderekko set down her chopsticks and shot Kaoru an inquiring look. "Why are you staring at her? Is Konata really that interesting?"

"Is Kagamin jealous that a boy isn't staring at her instead?" Konata teased with a sly smile, causing Kagami to blush furiously and glare fiercely at her.

"N-No! I was just wondering!"

Kaoru just blinked, that serious look remaining in his eyes. "Well... I was just thinking about something that's been bothering me for awhile now..."

"What is it, Kaoru-san? You can tell us," Miyuki said, and Kaoru closed his eyes with a frown. After a moment they snapped open, and he pointed at the pastry in Konata's hands.

"Which end of a cornet is the head?"

The Hiiragi twins froze in shock, remembering all too clearly the numerous times that infamous question had been asked and the long debates that followed. To think that Kaoru had just said the forbidden words, and would probably begin that debate again. Unperturbed by Kagami and Tsukasa's reaction to the question, Kaoru continued, "I mean, I always hear people saying that they always start eating it from the head. But you never hear anyone saying exactly which side is the head! It's confusing!"

"I always thought that the fat end was the head," Konata said after a very short moment of thought. She turned her cornet on the side to demonstrate, pointing a finger at it. "It kinda reminds me of a caterpillar."

This imagery sent shivers down Tsukasa's spine, especially when her imagination went on overdrive and showed her an image of the cornet as a caterpillar while Konata ate it. Not a very pleasant thought. "W-Well I think the thin end is the head. Like the shape of a sea shell."

"Huh..." Kaoru looked very thoughtful as he regarded Konata's cornet as she began to munch away at it again. "I kinda agree with Tsukasa-san, though, about the head... to me the fat end looks more like the bottom than the top..."

The discussion was turning into a combination of previous discussions, complete with a disturbing image popping into Kagami's mind thanks to Kaoru's statement. "That's a big bottom..."

"But everyone has their own ways of eating a cornet," Miyuki put in with her usual smile, putting a hand to one cheek. "Personally I always cut off the thin end and eat it with the excess chocolate, that way I'm able to maintain a balance between bread and chocolate."

"I never thought of that," Kaoru said, giving Miyuki an impressed look. "I always start from the fat end so that the chocolate won't spill, but then sometimes I end up not finishing the whole thing because of a chocolate overload."

Sensing the long, complicated direction the conversation was going, Kagami made a quick move to end the debate before it went any further. "I really don't think it matters much how you eat a dessert, as long as it tastes good, right?"

The short otaku grinned as she finished off her cornet, chuckling. "Of course Kagamin, you would know, huh? You're the sweets expert, you've had thousands."

Kagami's eyes narrowed as she looked at Konata, a single thought running through her mind, _That was an insult, wasn't it?!_

"Still, you do often hear people arguing about the best way to eat something."

"That's because humans in general like to question things, Kaoru-san," Miyuki said, setting her chopsticks down. "And when people find an answer that works for them, they tend to want to make others believe that their answer is the right and only one. Of course, you do have those people who accept all sorts of answers and are very open-minded about things, but most people like to fight to defend their beliefs, whether or not others think it's wrong."

"That's how wars are started sometimes," Kaoru commented, in complete agreement with the meganekko. "Through complete disagreement. Or feuds between friends, persistent misunderstandings, rivalries, and the occasional attempt to take over the world."

"Don't confuse anime with the real world," Kagami scolded, sweat-dropping. She hadn't expected to say that to Kaoru; Konata, certainly, considering the numerous times she's said it to her already. But then it shouldn't have been too surprising, considering both of them were otaku. He just laughed, shrugging apologetically.

"Sorry, sorry, but it's just... fantasy is often more entertaining." With a small, sad smile, Kaoru murmured softly, "While reality can be so unfair sometimes..."

"Huh?" Tsukasa shot Kaoru a confused look; she thought she had heard him add something to his sentence, but she wasn't sure. Apparently none of the others seemed to have heard it, though, so she decided that perhaps she was just hearing things. But while she wasn't certain about what she had heard, Tsukasa was definitely sure that she had seen a sad look on the otaku's face for a brief moment. _But he laughs a lot... what could he possibly be sad about?_

A little later into lunch, Kaoru sighed with a content grin on his face, putting away his now-empty bento lunch box. "Hey, Konata, if you want we can go back to that Animate store in Ikebukuro that we went to yesterday. I brought extra cash with me today."

Konata shook her head, waving a hand apologetically. "Nah, sorry. I've got work today. You wanted me to put in a good word for you, ne?"

"Yep! And in return I'll let you borrow any anime or game of your choice that I have in my collection... or might add soon."

"The only problem is the manager might not hire you if we don't attract enough customers of the female variety," Konata told him, frowning a little. But then she snapped her fingers, a grin forming that worried Kaoru a little. "But if you're willing to dress up as any male character the manager chooses, there's still possibility. And you'll be hired for sure if Kagamin and the others become regulars..."

"Oy, don't involve us in your schemes," Kagami said to both otaku, her glare making them back away and raise their hands in mock fright.

"But won't you help, please, Kagami-chan?" Kaoru pleaded, making big teary eyes. "I really need money, and I promise I won't spend _all_ of it on anime and manga and games... I do think about my future, you know."

"U-Um, I won't mind," Tsukasa said, and Miyuki nodded in agreement.

"I'll help as well, if it's alright."

Sighing in defeat, Kagami crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine, I'll help. As long as it doesn't interrupt our studies."

"Thank you, Kagami-sama!" Kaoru and Konata said at once, clasping her hands in theirs. Completely taken by surprise, not to mention embarrassed by their actions, Kagami blushed.

"I-It's nothing! And don't call me that, it's embarrassing!"

"Kagami-chama!"

"It's still embarrassing!"

"Kagami-chama!"

"Stop it already!

"Nee-chama?"

"Not you too, Tsukasa..."

-+-+-+-+-+-

"See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Kaoru-kun," Kagami shouted back to the boy as he waved, riding off on his bicycle. She waved back, letting her hand drop to her side once he was no longer in sight. Sighing, she wondered why she had been so easily roped into Kaoru and Konata's little scheme. Or rather Konata's scheme, since it had been the female otaku's idea in the first place. It had been obvious that Tsukasa and Miyuki would agree; they liked to help to help out their friends. That wasn't to say that Kagami didn't; it was just that she wasn't sure about constantly having to go to Akihabara whenever Kaoru and Konata were working. It might take away time needed for homework and studying. _Still... someone has to protect Tsukasa, and Miyuki would probably need help in that department..._

"Well, let's go home Tsuka--"

"Sempai!" Not sure which of them was being addressed, both the Hiiragi twins turned to see four familiar first-years approach them, Patricia with an unusually serious look on her face. Yutaka and Hiyori looked a bit concerned, while Minami was as expressionless as usual. "Sempai, is that boy Konata-sempai's boyfriend?"

"Eh? N-No, Kaoru-san isn't anyone's boyfriend," Tsukasa replied, completely unsure as to why Patricia wanted to know. She and Kagami exchanged confused looks before realizing they'd have to clear up what was obviously a misunderstanding. "Patty-chan, Kaoru-san is just a friend. He's a new student; we only met him just yesterday."

"So Kaoru's his name, huh? Is that his first name or last name?"

"His name is Raito Kaoru," Kagami told the girls, frowning. "Why do you want to know, anyways?"

"Tell me; do you know exactly what kind of guy he is?" Patricia asked, pointing a finger at the twins.

"Well, he's polite, smart, an otaku like Kona-chan, likes to laugh..."

"Is that what he's really like?" Patricia interrupted Tsukasa, putting her hands on her hips. "How do you know he's not just toying with you?"

"What?!" Kagami exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. "There's no way Kaoru-kun would deceive us; he's not like that!"

"But you said you only met him yesterday," Hiyori pointed out.

"W-Well, that's true but..."

"We don't want you to get hurt," Yutaka said, a concerned look on her face. "And Patty-chan had pointed out earlier, why would a guy be so eager to hang out with a group of girls? Was he at all hesitant or nervous about it?"

"No... he wasn't." Kagami replied, now taking their words seriously. _That's true... he did seem happy to be a part of our group. At first I just assumed it's because he's new and wanted to make friends... but what is he really like? Kaoru-kun has been way too nice..._

"B-But that doesn't mean Kaoru-san is that kind of guy," Tsukasa said, defending her new friend. "He's..."

"Excuse us," Kagami said, interrupting her sister. "We really have to get home. Come on, Tsukasa." Grabbing her sister by the arm, she departed with Tsukasa. The first-year girls watched as they left, then exchanged looks.

"He's got them hooked," Patricia said with a sigh.

"I'll talk to Onee-chan when she gets home; I'll ask her about Raito-sempai," Yutaka assured her. Hiyori looked thoughtful, and then she looked at Patricia.

"Hey, Patty-chan... don't you have work today?"

The foreign otaku froze, her eyes widening in realization. "I forgot! Thanks for reminding me; I'll see you tomorrow then, and I'll try to talk to Konata-sempai at work! Learn more about this Raito-sempai." She ran off, mentally scolding herself for forgetting such an important thing as work. After all, Patricia needed all the yen she could get.

Meanwhile, Kagami was considering the girls' words as she and Tsukasa made their way home. _Things are moving too fast; already we're all on a first-name basis with him. Is Kaoru-kun really like what they said he probably is? No, how would they know? They've never met him... still, the fact that we have met him, and never even suspected that... is he really just toying with us?_

**Author's Notes: Well... this can't be good. Already people are doubting Kaoru-kun (and this chapter seems... short)! That makes me wonder, too... what is Kaoru, really? Besides being an otaku... and someone who seems to say odd things once in a while. Anyways, I had fun bringing Animate and the "Which end is the head?" debate into the fic. I'll probably do an Animate thing again later in the story, though it might be tough thinking of a new scheme for the Animate crew to pull off. Maybe they'll succeed one day?.... Doubt it. Oh, and no one had better begin flaming my fics! Constructive criticism, fine. Flaming, no! Trust me, I know people... so no flaming! *waves* Bye-ni!!**

**Notes/References**

"Hagane no Renkinjutsushi": Yes, Kaoru is a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist. Not sure how he feels about the anime... although the manga is pretty good...

"Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~": Yes, it is definitely referenced. Again. And probably will be throughout the entire series.

"Detective Academy Q": Just a character from this series mentioned

"Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro": Only a character mentioned

"Master Keaton": Look hard. You won't spot the reference unless you've read the manga before (or at least heard of it)

"Meitantei Conan": Name. Enough said.

"tsunderekko": An anime girl who is considered to have tsundere traits. And no matter what Minoru-san seems to think, most of the fans seem to consider Kagami as a tsundere girl...

"-chama": A combination of "-chan" and "-sama" and guaranteed to embarrass some people! Hmm... what would "-kun" and "-sama" be? "-kuma"?

Akihabara: A major shopping district for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, it is where the cosplay cafe Konata works at is located. And where some people had mistaken Tsukasa for a Kamigishi Akira cosplayer... poor Tsukasa-chan!


	3. Doubts and Dreams

Disclaimer: No no no no no no no no no, Lucky Star and all referenced anime/games are not mine at all. The only thing mine is the plot and all original characters in the fic

* * *

III: Doubts and Dreams

_He loves the sound of laughter. I have never, ever met anyone who laughs as much as he does, especially when other people begin laughing, too. He also happens to be an otaku; not sure if it's because he was raised as an otaku, like Konata, or for some other reason. Always completes his homework, always smiling, very helpful (sometimes more than necessary) and athletic as well despite being as big a gamer as Konata. He's not afraid to speak his mind, no matter how many people he might annoy. He's also managed to become an official part of our group, but despite everything there's something about him... I shouldn't be questioning it, but once I did, I couldn't help but become suspicious._

_What does he think of us?_

_Does he really consider us his friends? Or is he just one of those boys who see girls as their playthings?_

Kagami groaned as she buried her face in her pillow, confused by the thoughts running through her mind. A couple weeks ago she would never have found reason to doubt the friendship she and the other three girls shared with Raito Kaoru, but only the next day after quickly becoming close friends with him she began doubting. Konata didn't doubt Kaoru at all; those two were near-inseparable at times, especially because they both were otaku and they both worked at the same cosplay cafe (which was slowly beginning to attract more customers of the female variety). Miyuki had the heart of a goddess, so kind that there was no reason for her to doubt her friendship with Kaoru. They even occasionally went into lengthy discussions about books they've read. The one about the translated version of _War and Peace_ had been especially long. As for Tsukasa, Kaoru was especially helpful towards her, possibly because of the girl's clumsiness. As it were, it turned out he could cook as well, having revealed he always made his own lunch (which looked pretty good). Sometimes he and Tsukasa would talk about recipes, and cooking methods. Those were conversations Kagami would try to follow, as she needed to learn how to cook better. (There are, of course, reasons why he had developed those interests and talents, but that is a story for later)

_"Is that what he's really like? How do you know he's not just toying with you?"_

"I... I don't know," Kagami murmured softly into the pillow, Patricia's words echoing in her head. It had only been two weeks since they met him, and it was as if they had known him for a long time. She hadn't heard any rumors yet, but she was certain they were flying. The tsunderekko felt guilty for doubting someone who had been treating her so nicely, even with the occasional teasing. Honestly, he was just as bad as Konata except that he would, more often than not, erupt into laughter soon after.

Turning to lie on her back, Kagami just stared at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep despite the softness of the bed, the warmth of the covers. They had known Kaoru for two weeks, yet none of that time had done much to quell her suspicion. And it made her feel guilty about it. If there was anything Kagami treasured, it was her attachment to her friends, so to doubt one's friendship with her... not a good feeling. The tsunderekko had attempted several times to talk to Kaoru about it, to ask him, but something always happened. Whether it was Tsukasa or Konata arriving to ask one of them a question, or herself unable to speak the words, Kagami had yet to do anything about the problem. Patricia, Hiyori, Yutaka, and Minami were no help, either; in fact, three of them still had yet to meet Kaoru in person. Kagami knew better than to talk to Misao and Ayano about it; she had a feeling nothing good would come of it. Well, maybe not if she talked only with Ayano about it, but if she did undoubtedly Misao would find out and then hell would ensue.

It wasn't until much later that she finally fell asleep, still troubled by her doubts yet determined to get it resolved as soon as possible. As it were, when she arrived with Tsukasa at school the next morning she found herself studying and analyzing everything Kaoru did when they ran into him and Konata. Not everything he did seemed like it was done in a way to get closer to them; well, closer than mere friends at any rate. But the suspicion remained.

"Thank you for your notes, Kaoru-kun," Tsukasa said as she handed the boy's notebook back to him, and he just laughed and shook his head.

"No problem, Tsukasa-chan. You really need to learn to be more attentive, though," he scolded, but Kaoru's grin took away most of the seriousness of his statement. Glancing over at Kagami, he noticed something was a bit... off. She didn't seem like herself. "Hey, Kagami-chan, you alright? Get enough sleep?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Kagami lied. Physically she was healthy, but her heart was heavy. She really need to get this problem off her chest. "Kaoru-kun... there's something I want to talk to you about."

Kaoru just motioned for her to continue, while Tsukasa looked on with a questioning look in her eyes. Apparently her twin had already forgotten the event from two weeks ago. Kagami took in a deep breath, locking her gaze with his. "Kaoru-kun, you... I--"

"Kagamin, let me see your homework really quick!" Taken by surprise, Kagami took a step back as Konata suddenly spoke up. The twin-tailed girl had not noticed the otaku's approach at all. Or rather, she had forgotten that Konata was even there.

Regaining her composure, Kagami placed her hands on her hips and glared at Konata. "No, I'm not going to let you copy my homework _again_, Konata. I meant it when I said last time was absolutely the last time. Besides, I already told you 'no' last night!"

"I just have to check my answers," Konata said innocently, holding a hand out for the notebook. "I'm not sure about questions eight to fifteen, twenty-seven through sixteen, and..."

"Did you answer _any_ of the questions?" Kagami sweat-dropped, for more reasons than one. The main reason was of course because Konata was so lazy, the other because she had been interrupted _again_. Were the gods having a good laugh at her expense or what?

"You can see mine, if you want," Kaoru said, holding out his other notebook. They'd noticed that the boy never did his homework in the same notebook as his notes; he had two separate notebooks, one for notes and other for homework. Konata declined his offer, pushing it back towards him.

"Sorry, Kaoru, but it has to be Kagamin's."

"So you _do_ just want to copy my homework," Kagami said triumphantly, grinning at the short otaku. Konata opened her mouth to deliver a retort when a loud thud attracted their attention, and that of everyone else in the classroom. The door slid open to reveal an embarrassed Miyuki, rubbing her forehead with a slightly pained expression. Seeing her, Kaoru grinned and took out a pencil, making a tick mark next to a few others on his desk.

"That's the fourth time since last week, Miyuki-san," Kaoru said with a grin, and Miyuki blushed. Leaning back in his chair, Kaoru laughed. "So what were you thinking about this time? Another book?"

"No," Miyuki answered, and she suddenly looked a little more embarrassed. "It's just that I have a cavity again, so I'll have to go see the dentist later. I'm a little worried..."

Konata perked up, realizing she finally might have an answer to a long-standing question. She turned to Kaoru with a gleam in her eyes, making the silver-haired otaku a little suspicious. He had learned by now that that gleam didn't always bode well, whether for him or someone else. "Kaoru, do you like dentists?"

That took him by surprise, but considering the current topic he supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised. "Not particularly. Why?"

"That disproves my theory, I guess," Konata muttered, her brows furrowed in thought. "I always thought boys liked dentists because of dentist drills. Boys like drills, don't they?"

"Depends, I guess," was all Kaoru could think of saying. He had no idea where the question had suddenly come from, or why Konata had assumed boys liked drills. Then again, in a certain aspect it could be argued that boys liked their own "drills" but not always drills. Shaking his head to clear his mind of perverted thoughts, the otaku shot Miyuki a bemused look. "So you don't like the dentist? That's a little surprising... I had always thought that you never needed to go to the dentist. Got a big sweet tooth?"

"No, but unfortunately no matter how much I brush I seem to always get cavities," Miyuki said with small laugh. "It's not the dentists themselves I don't like; the sound of their drills make me a little nervous. I can't stand the sound."

"But aren't most dentists cool? With their drills, they can take down even the most evil of cavities!"

Kagami sweat-dropped, putting a hand to her forehead. "Konata, you've never gone to see a dentist before, so don't make assumptions. And this is the real world, not an anime!"

"Hmm... what Konata is saying does sound interesting, though," said Kaoru as his imagination went on overdrive again. He grinned as he imagined Gurren Lagann dressed like a dentist, complete with glasses and mask, with giant drills in place of its hands, fighting against a Ganmen that looked suspiciously like a giant tooth. It even had a big cavity for a mouth. This imagery was too much for him; Kaoru burst into laughter, clutching his sides. The girls were shocked by this sudden outburst, although it had happened a couple times since they had met him, and the otaku's laughing only stopped once he fell out of his chair and hit the floor. "S-Sorry... but... ah, too funny, too funny..."

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours, Kaoru-kun," Kagami commented, sighing. The otaku in question just stuck his tongue out immaturely, glancing at the clock as he did so.

"Kagami-chama, classes are goin' to start soon. You better get to class before your should-be-perfect-but-isn't-perfect record is ruined!"

"Fine, but stop calling me that already!" Kaoru raised his hands defensively as a barrier between himself and the annoyed tsunderekko, grinning as he did. Kagami made her way out of the classroom and into the hall, quickly heading for her class. But just as soon as she got into her seat, a very familiar person plopped herself into the seat in front of her with a glare. Said brunette had short-cropped hair and tanned skin; if one is on the track and field club, they would get tanned. A small fang protruded from one side of her mouth, although currently her expression was definitely not a grin. Kusakabe Misao was frowning at her friend, and behind her was Kagami's other friend and classmate Minegishi Ayano, who was a girl that never seemed to get angry. Somehow, though, their combined presences made Kagami feel trapped.

"Hiiragi," Misao started, her sharp eyes narrowing, "why won't you hang out with us? We've known ya for way longer than that Chibikko, but you seem to want to hang out with _her_ more! An' what's this I hear about you with a boy? You never said anythin' about having a boyfriend! Or do you only talk about things like that with Chibikko, now, too?!"

"Wait, wait, wait, I do not have a boyfriend!" Kagami said, attempting to stop Misao before she really got going. If given the chance, Misao would gladly rant on and on about how Konata had "stolen" Kagami away from them; and now apparently she had also heard about Kaoru. Kagami sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. If it wasn't one headache, it was another. "Yes, there is a boy in our group now but he's just a friend. He's not anyone's boyfriend. His name is Raito Kaoru, and he's a new student."

Misao's face brightened for a moment and she leaned in closer, making Kagami lean back in turn. "So then you won't mind hanging out with _us_ at lunch, right? Since he's not your boyfriend and you see Chibikko just about every day! C'mon, you've ignored us long enough! We ain't part of the background, y'know!" Kagami looked away from Misao's accusing glare, seeking help from Ayano. But the girl just smiled apologetically, making her realize that she probably wasn't going to get any help from that corner. With another sigh, Kagami closed her eyes. She really wanted to talk to Kaoru and find out the truth, but in this situation...

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll hang out with you guys today," she said, giving in to Misao's demands. _Besides, it's not like this will be the last time I'll ever see him; there'll be other oppurtunities. Hopefully without interruptions..._

At lunch, while Kagami was having lunch with Misao and Ayano as promised, in class 3-B Kaoru sighed and tipped forward, his forehead making contact with the desk. Hard. The thud caught the girls' attentions, and Tsukasa gave him a worried frown. "Are you okay, Kaoru-kun?"

Munching away at her chocolate cornet as usual, Konata gave Kaoru an examining look, making him feel as if he were under a microscope. Finally she snapped her fingers, a wide cat-like grin on her face. "Oh-ho! You forgot your lunch today, didn't you? That's a first, I never thought of you as the kind who would." At this Kaoru slowly sat up, opening his mouth to make a retort, eyes narrowing. But he was interrupted by a threatening growl coming from his midsection, and the boy groaned, collapsing on his desk again. Konata laugh in triumph, pointing a finger at him. "I knew it! You can't hide it from me, the Great Konata! I am the Divine Brain; I was able to deduce the situation from what little clues there were!"

"Watch too much _Spiral_, Konata?" Kaoru asked, sitting up with some effort. He grinned in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I forgot my lunch. I had a lot on my mind this morning..." He stood up, a determined look on his face as he began to make his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Miyuki, and Kaoru just grinned, rubbed his stomach, and made a motion as if he were eating bread. He also flashed some money, and Miyuki translated this as: "Going to cafeteria to buy anpan." By now, that was probably the only bread left over; all the specialty breads were usually gone in seconds. If Kaoru had left earlier, he might've stood a chance.

Standing in the hall, Kaoru felt lost for a moment as he realized he had forgotten where the cafeteria was. Seeing as he'd never had to buy lunch before, he'd never had a chance to learn as to where it was located. Groaning, the otaku tried to remember from when he had been given a tour of the school on his first day. Unfortunately he had been quite sleepy that morning (see the first chapter) so he hadn't been paying as much attention as he should have been. _Note to self... memorize your surroundings when being shown around someplace new..._

"I suppose I could ask one of the girls where the cafeteria is," said Kaoru to himself, putting a hand to his chin. Just as quickly as he had come up with the idea he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "No, no, I wouldn't want to bother them. Or maybe Kuroi-sensei... except for her violent tendencies... knowing her, she'd hit me for not having paid attention during the tour. Great..."

A tapping on his shoulder alerted Kaoru to the fact that there was someone next to him who wanted his attention, and the silver-haired otaku looked to see a somehow familiar brown-haired, closed-eyed boy grinning at him. "I can show you where the cafeteria is. You're Raito Kaoru-san, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks," Kaoru responded, shooting his an inquiring look. "Sorry if I'm being rude, but... who're you?"

"I'm in the same class! Shiraishi Minoru, remember?"

Kaoru looked at him with a confused stare, trying to remember the somewhat-distraught Minoru. Obviously the poor guy didn't like to hear that his existence had not been noticed (he'd been hoping for a big role in this story), but judging by Kaoru's reaction Minoru was a stranger. Then he snapped his fingers, a big smile on his face as sudden recognition gleamed in his eyes. "I remember now! That guy who looks like a butler! Odd... Konata had told me your name was Sebastian."

Minoru's face fell as he realized that for some time now the new student had only known him by a foreigner's name, and a butler's name at that! Shaking his head, he shot Kaoru a small grin. "No, I'm Minoru. My name's not Sebastian; I try to tell them that that's not my name but they don't listen... or Izumi-san doesn't, rather. Anyways, moving on... let me show you where the cafeteria is, I'm surprised you don't know. Didn't Kuroi-sensei give you a tour of the school, or did someone show you around at least?"

"Well, I had kinda figured on always bringing a home lunch, so I never figured I'd have to learn where the cafeteria is," Kaoru laughed, finding his situation rather funny now that there was someone who could show him the way that wouldn't be bothered too much nor hit him for his ignorance. "And to be honest, I was really tired on my first day; spent too much time playing an MMO I like..."

"I never thought of you as the gamer type," Minoru commented, surprise in his voice. "I thought you were one of those smart, cool types."

"What, and I'm not?" Kaoru asked jokingly, the gleam in his eyes proof of his currently non-serious demeanor. "Well, I guess one can argue that I'm smart, but that depends. Everyone's a genius in one way and a supreme idiot in another. People think I'm smart, but that's just because I used to go to a school with very competitive students. Everyone wanted to get higher marks than the other. And as an otaku, I'm pretty sure the older otaku have a head start and know more than me or any otaku of this generation, except for new terms. Housework, I know; I'm always the one who has to do most of the chores. Even cooking is something I do."

"You are smart," Minoru said, surprised. Then he remembered something Kaoru had said a bit earlier. "But if everyone is dumb in some way, what is it for you?"

"That's easy. After all, ever since I first began attending high school I have confessed to and been rejected by at least twenty girls so far!" Kaoru laughed, but somehow it seemed to Minoru that he wasn't telling the truth. Deciding it was just his imagination, he pushed the thought out of his mind as the otaku said, "So what do you think you're smart at and dumb with?"

"Well... I have worked as an emcee on several occasions," replied Minoru, remembering the school festival. He had been flustered when his cell phone had begun ringing in front of everyone. "I guess I'm good at announcing? Oh wait, I mean speaking in front of a large audience. I didn't use to have much confidence, but I've gotten better!" Noticing that Kaoru was listening--not pretending to listen, but actually paying attention--Minoru continued, "But otherwise I'm considered average."

"You didn't say anything about your butler skills," Kaoru teased, rewarded with a frown and a reminder that he was _not_ a butler from Minoru. Grinning, he raised his hands defensively. "I know, just kidding! But don't think that you're average; after all, average people tend to be plain and blend in with the background. In other words, they barely stand out. Not that I think anyone is average."

"Everyone does have something they're good at and bad at after all, right?" Minoru said, correctly guessing what Kaoru was about to say next. "That's true, but what about people who are good at everything?"

"As I saw in an anime once, those people who seem perfect tend to have a weakness and that weakness is also their main strength: Perfection," Kaoru explained. "Striving for perfection isn't always a good thing; sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Besides, nothing is ever perfect." With a grin Kaoru added, "If you see anyone who seems absolutely perfect, though, take them to the swimming pool and see if they can walk on water."

"I think that's a different kind of perfect," commented Minoru, and they both laughed. By the time they reached the cafeteria Kaoru and Minoru had become quite good friends, and after buying his bread (_anpan_ of course), they headed back to the classroom.

"_Anpan_ seems perfect to my taste buds," Kaoru said as he took a bite out of it. "Simple, yet full of history. Did you know that _anpan_ and other breads became popular because during the Meiji Era the emperor had been presented with a bread made by the inventor of _anpan_, a man called Yasubei Kimura. Apparently the emperor liked it and asked him to present _anpan_ to him everyday, and when a rumor spread that the emperor ate _anpan_, everyone else wanted some, too. Yet now," he added, looking at his bread with sympathy as he ate it, "the original recipe doesn't seem as popular as the specialty breads."

"I dunno, I've seen plenty of people eating it instead of, say, curry bread," Minoru told him, "and there is that popular character... I think he's called 'Anpanman' or something. I used to watch the show when I was little; I really liked _anpan_ when I was into it!"

"Oh yeah, I know that show! _Soreike! Anpanman _has been airing since 1988 I think; makes me wonder how much longer it'll go on!" Kaoru laughed. "There're so many series that go on for so long... Pocket Monsters, Bleach, Naruto, just to name a few! 'Course, I can't think of one that's lasted as long as _Anpanman_... hmm..." Looking thoughtful, he took another bite out of his bread, chewing slowly. "I know plenty of old (well, sort of old) anime, like _Ushio to Tora_ or _Metal Fighter Miku_, but those have already finished. I can't think of one still going..."

"_Pocket Monsters_ is still airing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's true, but it's not as old," Kaoru said with a dismissive wave. "It began in 1997 I think... but then again I tend to label any anime that began airing before the twenty-first century as old!" At this he began laughing, thinking about the number of anime that meant that he thought of as old. "You can usually tell if you look at the art style, not to mention the coloring is kinda different than it is in newer anime. The opening and ending songs can also be a hint, but I wouldn't count on those so much."

"Um... I'll take your word for it," Minoru replied, not quite getting everything Kaoru was saying. "Are you an otaku?"

"Yep, and proud of it!" Kaoru announced, thumping a fist proudly on his chest while he brought the hand holding his bread to his face to take a bite out of his lunch.

"That would explain why you know so much about anime. I like anime, too, but I'm not as into it as you seem to be," Minoru laughed, and Kaoru just grinned.

"No problem! Just look out; I might begin talking about things you can't understand!" he laughed again, running into the door of the classroom. He really should have been paying attention, and as he rubbed his sore forehead he silently vowed not to tease Miyuki the next time she walked into the door. Sliding it open, he took a big bite out of his _anpan_ just as the bell that signaled lunch's end chimed. He paused for a moment in shock, wondering how in the world it could be the end of lunch already. Perhaps he had delayed too long in setting off for a bite to eat? Maybe, but that's not a question to be answered anytime soon.

Luckily everyone was seated by the time Kuroi-sensei stepped into the classroom, a grin appearing on her face. Not long afterwards, as class resumed, the students began doing whatever they did during a lesson. Miyuki and Kaoru paid attention, jotting notes efficiently, Tsukasa tried to keep up but was failing, Minoru (for now he finally deserves more mention) wrote the occasional note, nodding every few seconds, while Konata blinked sleepily and took few notes, if any at all. Somehow these classes always made her a bit sleepy. Maybe because they tended to be a bit boring; anime was usually more exciting. Slowly, ever so slowly, she drifted off into dream-filled slumber...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cold. That was how it felt in the briefing room. Cold, nothing but cold. The air felt so cold, yet to her surprise no puffs of mist showed up when she breathed gently with her mouth. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere in general, as no one had made a joke ever since the beginning of the briefing. Casually the blue-haired girl glanced over at a few of her fellow soldiers, trying to see how they felt about this briefing. Naturally it was difficult to tell, seeing as the only light in the room was being provided by the video projector, but it was still enough light to see their faces. A girl with purple hair pulled into twin tails on either side of her head was frowning, her eyes narrowed as she viewed the image on screen, no doubt thinking about the difficulty of the mission. Next to her a timid-looking girl with short purple hair was also frowning, but in a more worried way; probably wondering about the deadliness of the mission. Standing up front was the submarine's strategist, a kind-looking girl with pink hair and excellent proportions; probably as a part of her strategy, she had already voiced her hope that everyone would return safely. Several times over. Next to her was the lieutenant commander, though she had a hard time remembering the name of the guy whose eyes almost always looked closed; he fidgeted, obviously nervous. And finally, there was the silver-haired boy smiling calmly, but a gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement. Turning her attention back to the front, she paid more attention to the briefing. Apparently the captain was speaking now.

"... Then we will send in teams of four on foot to root out the terrorists, sent in from designated positions marked in red here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. When we form your squads, we shall inform you where you shall begin. The rest of us will--what is it?" Kuroi-senchou said in annoyance; she hated being interrupted, even if the person in question had raised his hand. Kaoru looked unapologetic, and there was a grin as he asked, "Will the ground-pounders be fitted with new equipment, or are we being sent in with the same stuff as the last fifty missions?"

With a huff, Kuroi-senchou gestured for Commander Miyuki to speak. Taken aback by this, she nevertheless responded without a hint of surprise or nervousness in her tone, "The technicians have come up with some new armor and weapons, but only about three teams will be sent in with it. Because of this, those three squads will be sent in from more strategic points."

"Excellent, I hope I'm in one of those three," Kaoru said with a laugh, and shot Konata a grin. She returned it, also hoping that she'd get to try out the new stuff. Last time the techies had come up with something new, she had been left out. A low growl was audible from the front, and Kaoru's grin disappeared as soon as he caught a glimpse of the irritated look on Kuroi-senchou's face. Obviously she wasn't content to let the interruption last any longer.

"As I was sayin' before I was interrupted," she shot the silver-haired boy a threatening look, "the others will be in Strike Armors ready to capture any terrorist attempting to flee, as well as keep guard for any reinforcements they may call in. We're hoping the troops sent on foot will disable their communications before they have a chance to do so, but--and both Commander Miyuki and Lieutenant Commander Minoru agree--it's better not to take risks. For this mission we'll send in the following SAs. Commander, could you...?"

"Yes, Kuroi-senchou," Miyuki replied, taking out what appeared to be a notepad and tapping it with a stylus. Konata knew that the notepad was really the remote control of sorts for the projector, which threw up diagrams of the selected Strike Armors onto the projector screen. "These are the Strike Armors the selected pilots will be using: Falchion, Daikyu, Maul, Katar, and Kite-type Strike Armors. We do not want to take any chances; these are powerful terrorists, possibly in control of the country's military as well."

Konata heard a soldier whistle, and it was obvious why. Strike Armors were, in effect, mechanized suits fifteen to eighteen meters in height, the sort of things one might expect in a sci-fi anime. But in this world, Strike Armors were no mere pieces of fiction from the mind of some manga-ka. And Miyuki had just mentioned the top-of-the-line Strike Armors in existence, ones only their organization, Epsilon, have in their possession. No other organization nor country in the world has the same; they lag a few years behind. Konata examined the schematics, having piloted some of those SA herself or at least seen them in action.

The Falchion was powerfully built, but probably the heaviest of the selected SA besides the Maul. Standing a good seventeen meters tall, it had thins, strong arms while its legs were thick and powerful. Armed with a giant version of the sword it was named after as well as a Crossfire, a specially made automatic assault rifle that could fire about nine-hundred fifty rounds per minute, with enough force to shatter a tank in less than a second. The drawback was that the Falchion was a bit slow, not to mention you had to watch your step while piloting it due to its weight. Konata remembered having accidentally gotten stuck when a sudden downpour made the ground all muddy. Very difficult, and she had been sent to work in the kitchens for a week for having made such a mistake.

The Daikyu was definitely the lightest Strike Armor, but also the stealthiest; equipped with the best camouflage technology available, it could make itself invisible to both radar and the naked eye. It was also the smallest of them, standing a little less than fifteen meters, but that worked to its advantage. The Daikyu was a sharpshooting SA, built to take out targets from a good, comfortable distance. Its accuracy, when wielded by the average pilot, was so good it was rumored that it could take down a mosquito in a foggy swamp without killing it (personally Konata believed this to be a huge exaggeration). Short and thin, it only came in two colors: black for nighttime operations and white for when snow was unavoidable. Unfortunately its lightweight structure made it vulnerable to the more heavily-built SA like the Maul or Falchion, or even the Berserker (a Soviet-made SA; from what Epsilon agents were able to find out, the terrorists have a few of these up their sleeve), which could take it out with its bare hands. Even the camouflage wasn't perfect; it would temporarily deactivate for a second every time the Daikyu fired its weapon (the Javelin, mostly, or sometimes the Chakram) and everyone knew just a second was all it would take to be detected; this was precisely why Daikyu snipers were never allowed to fire until the battle had truly begun. Konata grinned as she remembered seeing Tsukasa's skill with one; she was a natural sniper, though the reasons why everyone preferred her as a sniper was also because she was completely useless with anything other than a sniper rifle.

The Maul was definitely the biggest and heaviest of them all. Standing over eighteen meters tall, it was heavily armored and perfect for ramming into buildings or other Strike Armors. It walked slow, but give it a bit of time to build up steam and it could run a tank over like a bull elephant trampling a lion. The preferred weapon for pilots using a Maul was usually a giant maul (duh) or a special shotgun called the Jackhammer. The shotgun was more like a giant bazooka with the punch it packed, except that it had to be close up to be effective. A tactic only the Maul could pull off with relative ease. The problem was that, like the Falchion, it was heavy, and faster SA could run laps around it. Otherwise the Maul was powerful, difficult to destroy, and very intimidating even from a distance. Konata piloted one once, and never did so again; it had been too slow for her liking, and she didn't like hearing so many bullets pinging off her armor.

The Katar was similar in build to the Daikyu, but with a crucial difference: It was made for close combat. Deadly fast and with a reinforced structure, the only SA faster than it was the Daikyu. Equipped with a pair of three-bladed swords, it could easily take out any Strike Armor in its path if controlled by a skilled pilot. If feeling the pressure, the Katar had a hidden weapon: A pair of extra arms attached to the main arms that could detach themselves. The extra arms ended in deadly three-way blades which could fold into one blade. The extra arms were actually suggested by Kagami after having watched _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_; Grievous may have been evil, but he had had a good idea with those arms. Konata decided that apparently Kagami would be one of the selected pilots; she was the only pilot of the only Katar-type SA, and she was deadly with it. She'd seen her friend face off against a Berserker; it had been like watching a surgeon at work, albeit one who sliced someone up a bit at a time.

Finally, there was the Kite. It wasn't the most impressive of Strike Armors, but that was mainly because it was a Shield-Class Strike Armor. Unlike Pierce, Stealth, Gauntlet, or Repair-Class Strike Armors, a Shield-Class was there mainly to, well, shield. It's primary aim was to protect other SA, especially if one needed immediate battlefield repair. Incidentally, the Kite was special in that it doubled as a Repair-Class Strike Armor. The Kite was about sixteen meters tall, but from its back it could unfold a tall, wide teardrop-shaped shield that was near-impenetrable. Other units could use this shield as cover, or have quick field repairs done in safety. The problem was that this meant the Kite couldn't carry weapons. It was the kind os SA only deployed with other SA. Kaoru had piloted one, and surprisingly enough he had done pretty well, saving several lives. Later, though, Kaoru insisted on never piloting one again. Too much pressure.

After a couple more hours, everyone was dismissed and told to be ready in five hours' time. The wait was because that was how long it would take for their submarine--which was more like a mobile underwater base--to get close enough to the terrorists' base to deploy the Strike Armors and military copters quickly. They hoped to take the terrorists by surprise, which would make it easier. Meanwhile, the ground-pounders were divided into squads of four; they had been sorted by compatibility, so that each team would be as deadly as the next. Konata was not surprised to find that she had been picked as one of the troops going in on foot, nor that one of her fellow squadmates was Kaoru. He grinned and clapped her on the shoulder, excitement in his eyes. "Ready for the mission, Konata?"

"Eh, more or less," she replied, her trademark catlike grin making its way onto her face. "Where're Kagamin and Tsukasa?"

"Kagami-chan was chosen to pilot her Katar, of course, and Tsukasa has been picked as a pilot for one of the Daikyu," Kaoru informed her, pointing over his shoulder with a thumb. Konata looked to see the hangar, where pilots were checking on their Strike Armors with the mechanics. Kagami could be seen poring over a clipboard one of the mechanics had handed to her, occasionally nodding in approval. Tsukasa, meanwhile, looked apprehensive as she talked with one of the mechanics fine-tuning her Daikyu.

The attention of all the ground troops was drawn to Miyuki when she said, "Everyone, please follow me. We're going to give you the new armor and weapons now." Eager to try out the new toys, Konata and Kaoru led the pack, following Miyuki down the various passageways until they reached the armory. Turning to face everyone Miyuki gestured for everyone to line up. "First, I'd like to she everyone this. Hiyori, could you please...?"

"Got it, sempai!" Hiyori was one of the "techies" who worked on new improvements in technology for Epsilon, and she brought out what looked like, of all things, a mechanical _bra_. There was a lot of giggling coming from the few female soldiers there (including Konata), while the males looked at it with alarm. Kaoru, though, was the exception as he roared with laughter, and once he finally calmed down he asked, "So what is that? I was under the assumption the ladies already had bras."

"This is, technically, a bra," Hiyori admitted, her face red, "but for this it's an acronym for **B**attle **R**eady **A**rmor. This is a handy piece of armor that, when activated, will protect the chest area. Completely bullet-proof, and only deactivates into... well, this form at the push of a button." Seeing the apprehensive looks on some of the male soldiers' faces, she added, "But we have a separate appearance if you want. We just figured this shape would be more comfortable for the women, especially when the armor is in standby mode." The relief was clearly visible on the men's faces, while Kaoru still looked like he was ready to burst into laughter any minute.

"Moving on, we have this beauty here," Hiyori said, showing them a medium-sized gun with a relatively short barrel. "As you can see, there seem to be extra pieces. In actuality, this gun, the ARK-9, is able to shift between use as a submachine gun, its current form, a grenade launcher," she began rearranging parts, pulling this down, pushing that back, until it was a weapon with a wider barre, "and a shotgun," again rearranging parts, "but to do this it's actually simple if you pay attention. The ammo cartridges for each function of the weapon is already a part of it, except for the grenade belt. That you have to insert once you've rearranged it into launcher mode."

"Sounds complicated," Kaoru commented, eyeing the gun. Despite what he said, though, Konata could see he was itching to try the ARK-9 out. "You sure it's easy to learn how to shift it between modes?"

"Yep. Here, we have enough for everyone... I'll show you, and you can follow." After Hiyori and Miyuki passed out the armors and guns (most of the men asked for the alternate version of the BRA, but Kaoru insisted on the original) Hiyori showed them how to rearrange the parts quickly and smoothly. Within two hours everyone was a master at it. Konata glanced at Kaoru and laughed. "You sure you don't want the other version?"

"Nah, I'm good," Kaoru said with a grin. "Besides, I think everyone needs a good laugh before this tough mission begins. As Kuroi-senchou said, we need to take down this terrorist group before they strike again."

With time to spare, they separated from the rest of their squad and went looking for Kagami and Tsukasa. They found them in the mess hall, although the twins both stared at Kaoru's chest, noticing the strange... growths. "Kaoru-kun... is there something you're not telling us?" Kagami asked with a frown. "You didn't need a bra before the briefing."

Kaoru just laughed. "This is a BRA, or Battle Ready Armor. A new thing, but I just had to have the original version."

"You have odd tastes. Just don't turn into Konata or something; one is bad enough." Kagami looked at everyone with a suddenly serious expression. "This could be the toughest mission yet, huh?"

Tsukasa nodded gloomily. "I hope it doesn't end up like that mission in the Middle East.... we lost a lot of friends there..."

"That's why we're doing this mission, to further Epsilon's goal of stopping war for good," Kaoru said, bringing a fist slamming on the table. "Those damn terrorists... they're gonna pay..."

"Didn't you say we had to loosen up before a mission, Kaoru?" Konata said wryly, which brought a grin to Kaoru's face.

"Actually, my exact wording was that I think everyone needs a good laugh. Why do you think I'm wearing this version of the BRA?" Kaoru laughed, putting both hands on his chest. "Although... I have to admit, it does feel awkward."

Just as everyone was laughing, a voice spoke on the intercom. "Okay everyone, it's time to get moving. Get ready everyone... wake up, Konata!"

"Let's go!" Konata shouted, pumping a fist in the air. That was when...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Let's go!" Blinking sleepily, Konata looked around with her fist in the air, wondering where she was. Kaoru was there, oddly enough he was wearing a school uniform and had a confused yet amused look on his face. Kagami was nowhere in sight, but Tsukasa looked shocked, while Miyuki seemed like she was saying a silent "Oh dear..."

And before her was an annoyed Kuroi-sensei. Konata looked up to see a pair of glaring green eyes staring down at her. With a small smile, she said, "So... Captain... is it time to deploy for the mission?"

In reply, Kuroi-sensei whacked Konata sharply over the head with a ruler, looking peeved. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, but this is not a dream, Konata. Could you stop falling asleep during classes, especially since you don't do your homework?"

"Sorry," Konata said, lowering her hand. This was embarrassing... but the whole thing had been a dream? No wonder it had a _Full Metal Panic!_ feeling to it. As Kuroi-sensei resumed her lecture, Konata tried to pay attention but inexplicably found herself falling asleep again. Slowly, ever so slowly, she drifted off into dream world again...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Amid the annoyingly loud sound of guns firing and explosions somewhere in the building, Konata was chatting with Kaoru. "You think the SA pilots are having it easy?"

"Doubt it. By the time we reached the communications room they'd already called for reinforcements. Which probably arrived a minute ago," Kaoru added, ducking back just in time to avoid a hail of bullets that would have taken his head off. Reconfiguring his gun, he loaded a grenade belt into it, peered around the corner and fired. There was a dull _thump_ as the launched grenade exploded, and judging by the screaming it had taken out at least a few enemies. Not long after, something sailed past and landed with a clatter, rolling next to Konata's foot. She the rest of her squad paled when they realized it was a grenade. But it didn't take long for them to realize whoever thrown it had been an idiot; the pin was still in.

Picking up the grenade, Konata pulled out the pin and returned it to the sender, listening with satisfaction as it exploded. "I thought terrorists were smarter than this. Poor guy must've panicked and thrown the grenade without realizing he forgot the pin."

"Pitiful." Kaoru shook his head and peered around the corner. "One guy left." A controlled burst. "Down to zero. Okay, where do we go now, Captai--okay, roger. C'mon boys and girl, follow me." They followed him, the sound of their boots thumping on the ground reverberating off the walls. _No wonder they call us ground-pounders... are we running or stomping, here?_

Konata grinned; she knew everyone would get out fine, that Epsilon would win this battle. There was no way they would lose, no way!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So what were you dreaming about, Konata?" It was after school, and Kaoru and Konata had already said goodbye to the others as they set off for the cosplay cafe they worked at. Kaoru looked expectantly at Konata as she thought about an answer, and finally she grinned. It may have been a dream, but it would be a fun story to tell anyways.

"Well, it was like this..."

**Author's Notes: Well, that was... odd. Seriously, as I was typing this, I wondered how in the hell I got roped into it. Personally I blame my obsession for giant robots (especially those of _Robotech_ and _Full Metal Panic!_) but then again it could be I was bored. I'm not happy with the ending, but I'm tired. Anyways, anyone surprised I brought in Minoru? Hey, Kaoru was bound to befriend him sometime. I wonder if there'll be a continuation of this dream sometime... nah, doubt it. So... criticism welcomed, flaming prohibited, compliments accepted. *melts* Stay tuned!**

**Notes/References**

"Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann": I LOVE this show! The ending was.. well, I won't spoil it! But it has a giant robot, which explains one reason why I like it so much...

"Chibikko": Misao's nickname for Konata, and incidentally this word can mean "midget" or be literally translated as "a very tiny object"

"Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~": Seriously, how many more times will I reference this awesome anime/manga?

"anpan": Mmmm... this is good. Incidentally, it's also the favorite food of my favorite female anime character (Nagisa from _Clannad_). And I did look up the history. Interesting stuff...

"Midori no Hibi": If you've seen the show or read the manga, you should spot it easily.

"Eramentar Gerad": Just something Kaoru said that is similar to something concerning one of the characters. Seriously, this anime is where I learned it. It's also where I got the idea for the "ARK-9"

"Soreike! Anpanman": A little kid show I first learned about when Dad brought home Anpanman toys for my baby sibling when he returned from a business trip to Japan. Hard to find the show online, though.

"Ushio to Tora": Only about ten episodes long, but cool. A boy and a demon team up, albeit unwillingly on the demon's part of course. He'd been blackmailed.

"Metal Fighter Miku": Sort of a futuristic anime involving a women's wrestling league. A high-tech wrestling league.

"Pocket Monsters": Who _hasn't_ heard of it?!

"Full Metal Panic!": Ah yes. This wonderful show is what Konata's dream is based off of. More or less.

"senchou": Japanese word for a naval captain.

falchion: A weapon combining the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword. Single-edged, one-handed, with a design reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese Dao.

daikyu: A Japanese longbow.

maul: In other words, a sledgehammer.

katar: A kind of short punching sword popular for swift and quick attacks. Native to the Indian subcontinent.

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith": My second favorite after Episode II. Grievous definitely was cool, though.

kite: There is something called the kite shield, which is shaped like an upside-down teardrop. Later on it's flat-topped.

"Codename: Kids Next Door": It's where the idea of the Battle Ready Armor (or "bra") came from. I doubt Konata's watched the show, but her mind is imaginative enough to come up with something that weird, I think...


	4. Enter! Emissaries From Hell!

Disclaimer: Stop torturing me by making me type this! I don't own Lucky Star or any already-existing anime/manga/games mentioned within the story! Mou...

* * *

IV: Enter! The Emissaries From Hell!

"You know what, I don't think Raito-sempai is as bad as I thought he was," Patricia said as she put a morsel of food into her mouth, the American looking quite thoughtful. If you are currently wondering where in the story this is occurring, this part would be around the time when (in the last chapter) Kaoru hit the desk with his head up in 3-B. But let's get back to the story now. As Patricia chewed and swallowed that morsel, her friends gave her surprised looks. Yutaka was the first to speak. "But you were the one who said--"

"Yeah, but now that I've met him at work and all, he actually doesn't seem the type," Patricia said with a dismissive wave of her chopsticks. "Even though we're getting more girls at the cafe--the sempai girls have become regulars, too, did you know?--I haven't seen Raito-sempai try to flirt with any of them. He's always the same, always acting in character. Then again, the only time he did flirt was when he was cosplaying as Suno**** when the manager decided to have us cosplay as characters from _Clannad_ for that week." She took another bite, still looking thoughtful. "You were right," she said suddenly, looking at Minami, "we shouldn't have assumed Raito-sempai is bad."

Minami just nodded slightly in reply, even though it would have been perfectly fine for her to say "I told you so" in one way or another. But, with Minami being Minami, the closest thing to an "I told you so" from her would probably have been that nod. Yutaka seemed to be a little uncertain, nevertheless, so Patricia said, "Tell you what, why don't you guys come down to the cafe with the sempai and meet him yourselves? My work days are always the same as Konata-sempai's, which mean they're also the same as Raito-sempai's, so he'll definitely be there."

Minami just silently nodded again, apparently thinking that it was a good idea. After a second's moment of thought Yutaka agreed to it, too. As for Hiyori, she was ready to agree without another second's thought. This was mostly because she was still looking for ideas, whether for a yuri plotline for her doujin, hetero, or even both. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could find some yaoi to work off of, though considering the fact that Raito-sempai (excuse me, Kaoru) hung out with the sempai girls that last option was hugely unlikely. Which was a shame, since she hadn't had a good yaoi idea in a very long time. Or rather, every time she did get one it would disappear before she had the chance to get it down on paper.

"Then it's settled!" Patricia cried happily, positively beaming. She'd been wondering how to get her friends to meet Kaoru as well, so that they could all finally lose their distrust of the boy. Like Minami had said, it was best not to judge someone before getting to know them, and being Kaoru's co-worker allowed her to learn some things about him. For instance, he was anything but prejudiced against Americans as he had shown when she introduced herself to him; his response had been sincerely polite, with an honest "It's a pleasure to meet you." Whoever his parents were, they did a good job teaching the otaku proper manners. "Trust me, Raito-sempai isn't so bad."

"Did you say 'Raito'?" At the sound of a new voice the girls turned to see another girl staring at Patricia as if she had just said a dirty word. The girl was a classmate of theirs named Amamiya Sayaka, a student who had been nicknamed "The Demoness" for good reasons. It was definitely not because of her short navy blue hair, pulled back into twin pigtails, nor for her eyes, which were a shade of brown so dark they were nearly black. Nope, it was because of the fact that anyone who pissed her off usually ended up in the nurse's office. Many suspected that it was because no one ever wanted to get her mad that she had been elected as class rep; so far she's had no trouble at all with the class. Usually, though, she wasn't too bad, except it was sometimes hard to know what would light Sayaka's fuse. As it were, the girls realized they were in a bad situation if Sayaka was glaring at them (or more specifically, Patricia). "Let me rephrase that. By Raito, you wouldn't happen to mean Raito Kaoru, would you?"

The fact that she knew the sempai's full name surprised the girls. The fact that she spoke his name like it was poison was also surprising. And they knew the longer it took for them to answer her, the more annoyed Sayaka would get. Granted, she hadn't beaten up any girls but those ones who had pissed her off before always somehow had mysterious "accidents" that led to them ending up in the nurse's office anyways. And even though there was no proof, everyone knew Sayaka was the culprit. (Not that anyone dared accuse her to her face; it was rumored even some of the teachers feared her)

"Um... y-yeah," Hiyori said in a soft, nervous tone, wishing that she was just a bit more athletic. If she was, maybe she'd be able to outrun Sayaka if she decided to give chase. Maybe. No one had escaped Sayaka yet (except maybe some of the upperclassmen in the track club; incidentally, Sayaka was also doing track) and it usually ended worse for the ones she chased than the ones who didn't run. The Demoness gave Hiyori a You-Better-Not-Be-Lying look and switched her gaze to poor little Yutaka, who quickly nodded in support of what Hiyori said. The same went for Patricia and Minami when Sayaka looked at them, though Minami wore an emotionless expression as always. She was always the one who never seemed to fear Sayaka in the slightest. Probably because there was nothing she could or would do to make the girl mad.

But just as suddenly as her rage seemed to have appeared, it vanished. Sayaka's lips slowly formed into a smile, not a violent one, but a nice one, and the girls relaxed. She leaned closer, a strange gleam in her eyes. "You won't mind if I join you, will you? It would be very good to see Ru-kun again. I didn't even know he had moved back to Kasukabe..." Before the girls could say anything to protest (not that they really wanted to) Sayaka had already walked off back to her desk, an odd grin on her face.

"'Ru-kun'?" Patricia echoed, not quite believing her ears. To confirm whether the others had heard what she had, she asked, "Did Amamiya-san just say what I think she did?" Everyone just nodded, a little surprised by this new knowledge. To think, they've had a source of information regarding Kaoru this whole time in their own class! Then again, considering _how_ Sayaka had said Kaoru's name, they probably would have gotten some biased information. Naturally, though, the way she said it also made them wonder what the silver-haired otaku could have done to have angered the class rep. The most confusing part was that she used his nickname; did that mean they were still friends?

"Maybe she had been his girlfriend and he had dumped her?" Yutaka suggested, listing what seemed to be the most likely possibility. "Amamiya-san seems like the kind of person who hates being rejected."

"She did say once that she despises anyone who isn't willing to stick with one person their entire life," Hiyori agreed, reminding them of the time when Sayaka had sent a boy to the nurse's office with a broken arm. Apparently he had dumped his girlfriend so that he could ask her out, which infuriated Sayaka. Naturally, the Demoness did what she usually did to those who incurred her wrath, but that had been a particularly brutal beating. She'd been suspended for a time because of her actions; not that Sayaka regretted it at all. Unfortunately this also meant that any possible chances she had with the boys dropped dramatically, as none were certain whether they were completely ready to put up with whatever hardships life threw at them with the "Demoness" by their side.

"Which junior high school is Amamiya-san from?" Patricia asked, looking at the other three. Of course she wouldn't know, as this was her first year in a Japanese school. Hopefully Yutaka, Minami, or Hiyori would.

Yutaka shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"Neither do I," Hiyori said, and automatically their heads turned to look at Minami, quietly finishing her lunch. Without a word she looked up at them and shook her head slowly before returning to her bento. None of them knew what to make of this reply; did it mean she didn't know either, or that she wasn't willing to tell? Either way, it still meant they had only a few ideas as to how Sayaka knew Kaoru. It looked as if they'd have to wait until after school, when they reached the cafe.

Patricia was the first to leave when the final bell chimed, as she had to get to work as quickly as possible. But she did reassure them that she would introduce them to Kaoru. Soon after she had left, Sayaka approached the girls and smiled; not in the way a predator might look at her prey, but one that wished to convey the message that she wouldn't hurt them. This did little to reassure Yutaka and Hiyori, who were more than a little nervous as the group left the school, but Minami just remained as expressionless as usual, not at all scared of the Demoness. While waiting at the gates for the sempai girls (whom they knew would pass through that way) Sayaka brought out her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "Hey, it's me... yeah... I'm gonna be a little late, hanging out with some girls from school... no, no... could you record... _baka_, just this once! Please!... Fine, I'll do it, but only if you... thank you! Stupid Aniki," she muttered after hanging up. Noticing the looks Yutaka and Hiyori were giving her (while Minami was left on lookout for the sempai) she just grinned a little and waved a hand dismissively. "I was just calling my brother to ask him to record my TV drama for me tonight. It's my favorite series, _The Three That Were Slashed_."

"That's a _jidaigeki_, isn't it? I didn't know you were into period dramas," Yutaka said with some surprise. When everyone looked at her with surprise on their own faces (there was even a little bit showing in Minami's eyes), Sayaka just continued to grin. She was obviously very amused by their surprise, and it showed in her answer. "Well of course you wouldn't know, Kobayakawa-san. Considering the fact I've never hung out with you girls before, none of ya would've found out much about me. And don't think I don't know about my nickname!"

Still looking quite amused, Sayaka continued, "It's no wonder no one in the class argues with me; they're too terrified of their 'Demoness' class president to try anything foolish! Guess that's why people are saying we've got the best-behaved class, eh? But I'm not that bad... I just don't like people who lack certain morals."

"Morals? That's why you get mad?"

"Of course, Tamura-san. I wouldn't get violent for no reason! For example, you girls hear about the boys I beat up the other day?"

"Weren't you nearly suspended for that one?" Yutaka asked, and Sayaka nodded. The girl was smiling slightly as she said, "The only reason I didn't was because they confessed to their wrongdoings. I caught them sneaking a smoke on the roof; naturally, I 'convinced' them to stop that bad habit. Mind you, they were wannabe _yakuza_ so I had to knock some sense into their thick skulls didn't I? Besides, smoking is unhealthy. A human's lifespan is short enough as is without factoring in possible accidents; why make it even shorter?"

"Well, in many anime and other TV shows and movies there's a 'cool' character who smokes. Maybe that sort of thing is giving them that impression," Hiyori said, shrugging a little. "Nowadays, though, usually it's the bad guys who are shown smoking. Like _yakuza_ characters or the big bosses of an evil organization. And not as many high school characters are shown smoking, either."

"Yet we've still got idiots that keep on trying," Sayaka muttered, an unhappy expression making its way onto her face. "I hate things like cigarettes and alcohol."

Yutaka gave the class rep a concerned look. "But don't many people?"

"Maybe. For me, though, it's personal. And I won't rest until I do all I can to right the wrongs of this world," she said determinedly, raising a hand and forming a fist. She was clenching it so tightly her hand began to tremble. When she felt a hand placed upon her shoulder, Sayaka turned her head to see Minami, who shook her head slowly and said, "The world won't change that easily. There are many obstacles in that path, and the journey will be difficult."

"Iwasaki-san... yeah, I guess. Still, I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." Sayaka gave a firm nod, and Minami silently removed her hand, while Yutaka and Hiyori watched with interest. If truth be told, no one in their class really knew much about the Demoness' personal life apart from that she had an older brother, and what the girls had just learned. As they were wondering who Sayaka might have made such a promise to, Sayaka raised a hand and asked, "Are those the sempai girls?"

Approaching the gates were, indeed, Miyuki, Kagami, and Tsukasa, heading to the cosplay cafe as usual, now that they had semi-willingly become regulars. They paused upon seeing the four first-years standing by the gate, all of whom were staring back. There was a small moment of silence before Tsukasa suddenly gasped, looking straight at Sayaka. The first-year class rep looked confused, and finally recognition dawned on her. "Ah! Tsukasa-sempai, I didn't expect to see you again! You aren't being bullied, are you?"

"N-No, after what you did those guys have pretty much left me alone," Tsukasa answered, getting over her initial shock with a smile. Kagami shot her twin an inquisitive look, to which the girl replied, "Sayaka-san helped me out a few days ago. A few boys were bothering me when she came and made them stop. It was actually pretty violent..."

"Not beyond what I'm used to," Sayaka laughed, and a bead of sweat rolled down Kagami's forehead anime-style. "So, yeah, I'm Amamiya Sayaka, and you?"

"I'm Tsukasa's sister, Hiiragi Kagami. It's nice to meet you." Sayaka's glance switched between Kagami and Tsukasa for several moments, eyes wide. Kagami wondered why this was, and her question answered when Sayaka suddenly exclaimed, "Whoa! Twins! This is a first; I've never met twins before... that explains the resemblance, but you aren't as clumsy as Tsukasa-sempai, are you?"

"No; just because we're twins doesn't mean we're exactly alike. Not to mention we're fraternal twins," Kagami informed the girl, and briefly wondered if there would be another discussion about twins. It seemed every time someone questioned them about what sort of twins they were or asked if they were, that talk would come. Not as often as the (in)famous "Cornet Debate" but it did happen occasionally nevertheless. "And even then, identical twins are usually alike only in appearance. And before you ask," she added, noting a look in Sayaka's eyes that she had seen countless times, "no, we aren't telepathic."

"How'd you know--maybe you really _are _telepathic," Sayaka muttered, shooting Kagami a glare. She quickly put her hands together, chanting, "Empty the mind of all thoughts. Empty the mind. Empty the mind. Empty the--"

"I told you, we can't read each other's minds or anyone else's! Geez," Kagami groaned, slightly caught off guard by the underclassman's odd behavior. Sayaka gave Kagami one long suspicious stare for a moment before relaxing. Yutaka sweatdropped at how she was acting, not quite sure what to make of it. "Are you superstitious Amamiya-san?"

"A little, yeah," Sayaka admitted, before turning her attention to Miyuki. "And you?"

"Takara Miyuki," the meganekko replied with a smile, holding out a hand. A little taken aback, Sayaka took the hand and they shook. But as she studied Miyuki, her eyes fell on one region in particular, and her eyes narrowed into a glare. Miyuki paused, a surprised expression on her face. "Ummm... Amamiya-san?"

"Takara-sempai... dammit, why are the glasses-girls the busty ones?!" Sayaka fumed, annoyance written all over her face. "While girls like me and Minami-san are about as flat as a washing board!" Upon hearing this comment, Minami turned and patted her chest, gloomily remembering just how un-endowed she was. _As flat as a washing board..._

"And I can already tell you're one of those eternally polite ones! A 'goddess of kindness'! Mou... no wonder she's so popular with the guys! While me... they won't even look at me except in fear!" Sayaka continued ranting, annoyed. Then suddenly she sighed in a rather depressed fashion. "Lucky..."

"I-It's alright, I'm sure you'll find someone who likes you the way you are," Tsukasa said to the girl, wondering if that was the problem. Apparently the "Demoness" wasn't really as scary as some people thought. She also appeared to be a tsundere-type like Kagami... except just a _bit_ more aggressive. "And we can be your friends and help you find someone like that. Neh?"

After a short sniffle, Sayaka stood straight up and grinned. "Right! Thanks, Tsukasa-sempai! Now... where are we going?"

"Oh! That's right! Can we go with you to the cafe? Patty-chan said she'd introduce us to Raito-sempai," Hiyori said, finally getting a chance to speak up. "We've been wondering what he's like, after seeing him hang out with all of you..."

"Of course," Miyuki said, her cheeks red from embarrassment from Sayaka's earlier comments. She might not have realized it, but now Konata wouldn't be the only one targeting her because of her... well, when Sayaka and Konata meet they might team up. Poor Miyuki. "We can show you where the cafe is."

"As long as nothing bad happens," Kagami muttered, glancing at Sayaka. The girl was odd, but then again she probably had her reasons. Besides, apparently she had helped her sister, so she couldn't be all that bad despite the rumors. _Sayaka the Demoness, huh... she's not that scary. Still... I can't believe how short a fuse she's got..._

"Let's go," Tsukasa said with a smile, and the girls headed off to the station. What the younger girls were wondering was how Sayaka knew Kaoru, but then they'd probably find out when they arrived at the cosplay cafe.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Is it just me, or were there more of them this time?!" As they made their way through the building to the entrance to the cafe, Kagami was complaining about the many otaku who roamed Akihabara's streets. Sayaka had to admit that the tsunderekko's annoyance was well-justified. She could not have believed that otaku would have such good swarming capabilities. It was a good thing they had all managed to escape before any more otaku mistook Tsukasa for a Kamigishi Akari cosplayer. Not that she even knew who Kamigishi Akari was... but apparently it happened every time they visited Akihabara. "T-That was dangerous," Yutaka commented, worn out. It had been tiring escaping that ota-horde. Even Hiyori was exhausted, judging by how hard she was breathing. Currently Minami was carrying Yutaka on her back, but seeing as Yutaka was smaller and lighter than Hiyori (not to mention that Minami was incapable of carrying two people at once) Hiyori had to walk. Unlike their underclassmen, Tsukasa, Kagami, and Miyuki weren't quite as tired as they were used to it, but even they were a bit worn out. After all, there had been more otaku than usual this time.

"Remind me to disguise Tsukasa-sempai next time we come here," Sayaka grumbled, stopping in front of a door. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Kagami replied, opening the door. As soon as they were seated at a table big enough to seat them all, their waiter arrived to take their orders. Their waiter had a smiling face, his eyes seeming to be either closed or partially closed, and when he spoke he was pretty polite. The only problem with this Koizumi Itsuki cosplayer was that his hair was not the right color. He had silver hair.

"I suggest the house special," said "Koizumi" to the girls, a (plastic, Minami noticed) smile on his face, notepad and pencil in his hands. He spoke politely and formally, but to those who knew him there was no mistaking his "true self" beneath the disguise. That "self" which was currently trying not to burst into laughter or begin teasing someone without a second thought. "It is very good, but then," his eyes (or what they could see of them) gleamed, "it may be because that is how _she_ wants it to be." They all stared for a moment as they wondered what he meant (except Hiyori, who had watched _Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu_ before) when he suddenly went out of character and burst into laughter. "You girls should see the looks on your faces! Ahahahaha!"

"That's not funny, Kaoru-kun! We don't watch anime as much as you and Konata do!" Kagami complained, and Kaoru was able to soon get himself back in control. Hiyori didn't comment that she, having watched the anime, knew what he meant, but it was surprising to know that he had slipped into Koizumi's character so well. Kaoru cleared his throat, getting himself back into character as he became "Koizumi" again. Looking at the underclassmen girls, he smiled and said, "It is a pleasure to see new faces now and again. Would you all be so kind as to introduce yourselves?"

"Ah, sorry," Yutaka replied, taken aback by his politeness. "I'm Kobayakawa Yutaka, and this is my best friend, Iwasaki Minami-chan!" Minami just nodded in greeting, to which "Koizumi" returned with a smile. "And this is Tamura Hiyori-chan." Bowing in greeting, he then turned to the final member of the group. Sayaka stared silently before a wicked grin came onto her face, a sharp gleam in her eyes. "The name's Amamiya Sayaka, and I already know you well, Ru-kun. It's been awhile; you've changed quite a bit."

"Eh?" Kaoru fell out of character as surprise and shock showed in his expression. "S-Sa-chan?! Wow, so it is you! You're right, it has been awhile." The other girls looked surprised that they knew each other well enough to use nicknames, but the interesting conversation which might've happened was cut off when "Haruhi" aka Konata made an appearance. "Oi, don't slack off!"

"S-Sorry... Konata, you mind taking their orders for me?" Kaoru said, a bit distracted. "Um... I have to talk with my dear old cousin about something. In private. Come on, Sa-chan." As the two left for a moment, Konata just stared, falling out of character as what Kaoru just said registered in her mind. "Did he say... his cousin?"

"Amamiya-san is Raito-sempai's cousin?!" Hiyori exclaimed in surprise, her glasses falling crooked.

"He has a cousin?" Kagami said, surprised. "Why didn't he tell us?"

"Maybe he didn't know she went to the same school?" Tsukasa suggested, and they all stared in the direction the two had gone. After a moment Minami stood up, and Yutaka asked her, "What are you doing, Minami-chan?"

"Checking on them," she replied simply, walking off. She wandered into an area customers usually didn't go to, listening for the sounds of Kaoru and Sayaka's voices. It didn't take her long before she came to a door where she could hear them, and as she was about to knock, Minami paused upon hearing a bit of their conversation.

"... do this for me? Please? I can't be there all the time. I have a job now."

"Still, that is very irresponsible! What if--"

"Nothing would happen and nothing will! I just want you to do this because I want to make sure, is all!"

"Look, if you had come to Papa and me for help, we would've gladly given it!"

"But you guys were the first ones _he _asked, right?"

"..."

"Thought so. The old man is lookin' for me; I just have to wait until he gives up and goes to another town to search."

"And of all places, you came here?! Idiot!"

"Ow! Don't hit me; besides, _she_ wanted to come back here, too! It's been what, a little more than ten years?"

"He'd still suspect you'd be here."

"And he won't find me. I've taken all sorts of precautions."

"Not enough of them. Besides, what would you have done if _she_ gives you away? She still remembers you, right?"

"... I wish. It's been ten years, remember? And I've changed from back then. Both of us."

"Ru-kun... does it hurt, being forgotten?"

"Not anymore; she still seems to subconsciously remember me, at least. Her memories are still there; I just look different enough that she won't consciously remember me."

"You won't tell her?"

"Nope; it's better that way. And you better not say anything either!"

"I won't. Geez..."

"And how's your brother? Still up to his usual antics?"

"Yup."

"Haha... anyways, we'd better go back. Everyone's probably wondering where we are." The door opened and Kaoru and Sayaka stepped out of the room and head back to the table. Minami had already gone when she heard them about to open the door, and by the time they arrived she had already sat back down. _Raito-sempai... there is a mystery surrounding him, but I shouldn't pry into his business. There is a reason why they wanted to speak in private; I won't say anything about what I heard unless they speak of it._ Minami was really a kind person, keeping a secret something she did not know. Kaoru resumed his post as their waiter, "Haruhi" scolded "Koizumi" for a bit before going back to her customers and the rest of the time was pretty much uneventful (besides the usual "Hare Hare Yukai" show, which "Koizumi" now participated in with "Haruhi", "Yuki", and "Mikuru" aka Patricia).

-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"That was fun," Yutaka said as they walked to the station, Akihabara brightly lighting the night. There was an obvious reason why it was the "Electric Town." Having just left the cafe, they were ready to go back home. Minami nodded in agreement, and Hiyori said, "It was." They glanced at Sayaka, who seemed to be in deep thought ever since they left the cafe. Kagami sighed, feeling a little tired. Miyuki looked fine, while Tsukasa was smiling. Unfortunately, there seemed to have been one small detail everyone had forgotten. Despite how late it was, otaku still roamed the streets of Akiba, and that meant...

"Not again!" Kagami complained as they pushed through the crowd, trying to keep Tsukasa in the center as "To Heart" fans tried to reach the girl. It really wasn't her fault she looked like Akari so much, but it was probably a good thing she wasn't wearing Konata's birthday gift to her. Sayaka growled in annoyance, glaring at all the otaku. "Dammit! Out! Of! The! Way!"

It seemed like forever until the crowd dispersed, and Yutaka sighed in relief. Turning, she said, "We're safe now, Sem--! Ah!" Alerted by her gasp, everyone turned to see that... Tsukasa had gone missing. Right now, you might be wondering how that happened. It's simple really; as they were forcing their way through the crowd, Tsukasa tripped and fell, and as everyone else's attention was on the crowd of otaku (who also didn't notice Tsukasa fall) they passed right by her. The otaku had only dispersed because they realized that the "Akari cosplayer" was no longer there. Tsukasa, currently, had gotten back up and was trying to find the others. "Nee-chan? Yuki-chan? Anyone?" She couldn't see her friends anywhere, and it worried her.

Wandering around, she paused when she spotted a flash of bright green hair disappear down an alleyway. "Iwasaki-san!" Tsukasa ran to catch up, but what she found in the alley was definitely not Minami or any of her friends. Certainly one of the boys standing before her had a similar hair style and color as Minami, but he was a guy. He and the other five boys with him were uncomfortably familiar to Tsukasa. "Y-You're..."

"Hey... you're that girl," the leader said, the one with the green hair. "Yeah, the one who tattled and got us beaten up by that damn Demoness! Ohhh, we've been hoping to see you again." Grinning, he and the other boys approached her, and Tsukasa quickly backed away until she bumped into a boy _behind_ her. "An' lookee here; the Demoness ain't here, either."

"Uh... c-can't we just talk this out?" Tsukasa said in a small, scared voice. She had never been good at self-defense, something that was made _very_ clear now. _I-I'm always like this... I'm always depending on everyone else to help me..._

"Time to have fun," The leader said, taking a step forward. Then, without warning... the boy standing behind Tsukasa dropped to the ground, unconscious. "Eh?" The other boys looked past Tsukasa to see what had happened, and out of curiosity she looked, too. And there he was. Another boy, but he gave off a different sense than the bullies. His skin was tanned, showing he spent much time outdoors, he had hair that was as red as blood which stuck out in all directions, and bangs which fell over his glaring blue eyes. One thought came to her mind about him, _His eyes are the same color as the sky..._

"What d'ya think yer doin'?" he growled, walking forward. Standing between Tsukasa and the bullies, he was frowning. "Picking on a helpless lil' girl, where's the honor in that? If a bruisin's what ya got in mind, how 'bout you dance with me instead?" He took a step forward, and it seemed about then that one of the bullies found his voice. "I-It's him! 'Devil King' Kuro! He's never lost a fight!"

"I've heard of him, that he took out one of the Hell's Five, right? One of the five most powerful fighters in Kasukabe?" The next one spoke with a tremble in his voice, and hearing his fear made Tsukasa a bit nervous too. The leader merely grunted, grinning like a madman. "So what? There's five of us an' only one o' him. We can take him!"

Kuro just stared, unimpressed. "So you need five of you to take on one of me? Wow, that is so brave. Can I get an autograph?"

"Stop mocking us!" As one, the group charged. And as one, they fell. Tsukasa, being inexperienced in the art of streetfighting, had no idea what had just happened. But for the rest of us, the details can be explained.

As they charged, Kuro merely kicked out with his right leg and struck one guy on the chin, taking out the leader first. Not for any particular reason; the guy had just been within easy reach. Next he swiftly side-stepped another's clumsy punch, delivering a nasty left hook and taking out the second one (giving him a black eye as a souvenir). The third was dispatched with a spinning right back fist (and left with a broken nose), and the fourth brought down with a roundhouse kick to his gut. The final guy lost when Kuro decided it would be fun to follow up his roundhouse with a side kick... to his groin. Naturally, being a guy, it hurt like _hell_. He lay on the ground, groaning in pain and glaring at Kuro. "Y... You m-monster! W-What the... hell... are you?"

"Yer worst nightmare," he replied, turning his back on his defeated foes. It hadn't taken much effort to take them out; hell, he probably had no need to even bother using his hands. But he felt it was necessary to take them out as quickly as he could. The one with the black eye was able to get back up, and leapt at him, shouting some sort of battle cry. Kuro sighed, leaned to the right as the punch flew past his head, and knocked the wind out of him with an elbow strike. "Idiot. If ya wanna sneak up on someone, don't scream like that. You'll bother the neighbors."

Tsukasa stared at her rescuer, and as he approached her some instinct kicked in and she took a step back. Despite the fact that he had helped her out, he was still scary. He had taken out five--no, six, counting the one who had stood behind her--without breaking a sweat. She flinched when he raised a hand, but when nothing else happened she looked up into those bright blue eyes of his. They no longer contained a cold, glaring look; instead, his expression seemed... bored. As if sensing her fear, he slowly, as if reassuringly, placed his hand on her shoulder, leaning in for a better look. "You all right? They didn't do anythin' did they?"

"N-No... you came just in time," she said, a small smile forming. _"Devil King" Kuro? That name sounds like Sayaka "The Demoness." _Tsukasa took a step back and bowed. "Thank you for saving me!"

He replied with a grunt, then said, "I didn't do it to save you. I just hate people who use their strength to bully others. That, and I've been needing an excuse to warm up."

"Still... thank you!"

He regarded her with a bored look, then sighed. "Well, I might as well..."

"Huh?"

"Listen, I'll stick with you until we get to the station, 'kay? I know that uniform; you go to Ryōō Gakuen High School, too, don't ya? I'll escort you to the station, an' after that we'll go our separate ways."

"Okay!" Tsukasa immediately agreed, realizing she would be safer with him guarding her. As they walked to the station, Tsukasa wondered how worried her friends were. _They're probably wondering where I am! Oh... I'm such a burden._ She didn't notice that, as she walked with Kuro, all the otaku avoided even _looking_ in her direction for fear of attracting the attention of the fierce-looking boy with her. They, believing that he was her boyfriend or something, were worried he might kick their asses. He looked like he would. But if one asked Tsukasa, she would say he probably wouldn't. After all, he seemed to her like Sayaka did; a scary reputation, but a heart made of gold. Kuro might disagree, but as he glanced at the girl, deep in thought, he inwardly sighed.

_... Remind me why I offered to escort her?_

Meanwhile at the station, Kagami and the others were waiting for any sign of Tsukasa, realizing that it would take forever trying to search the city. The best chance they had of finding her was waiting at the station; though considering Tsukasa didn't have the best sense of direction, it could take awhile. When they spotted Kaoru, Konata, and Patricia walking towards them (the three's shift had ended), they quickly went up to them and explained the situation. Naturally, this got them worried, too. Yes, the oh-so laughably carefree Kaoru and Konata were worried; this was Tsukasa, after all, who wouldn't be worried about her? Lost in a big city, made worse considering she looked like an anime character and there were otaku on the prowl. Patricia was all for calling the cops and getting them to help, but for some reason Kaoru was a little hesitant about that.

"Why not? It'll be easier to find her if we call them!" Patricia argued, but Kaoru still shook his head. None of the girls could understand why he didn't want to have any kind of contact with the police (except maybe Sayaka, and Minami had a suspicion), and he wasn't explaining either. With her impatience becoming greater and greater, and as worried for her sister as she was, Kagami was becoming frustrated with Kaoru. It showed on her face as she marched up to him, glaring at him directly in the eye. "Look, Kaoru-kun, we need to call them! I don't know why you don't want to! My sister is lost out there; I'm worried about her! But you wouldn't know how I feel since you don't have a sister, do you?!"

For brief moment it looked as if he were about to reply to that, but Kaoru then closed his mouth and looked away. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, the otaku looked as if he were annoyed about something. Then he took a deep breath, relaxing himself as he calmly said, "I know you're worried, and I understand that. But... but I..." Turning his back on her, he took a few steps then stopped. "I'm sorry. Go ahead and call them; I just have something I need to do. See you... see you tomorrow." Without another word he left, and it was Kagami's turn to clench her fists at her sides. _Why... I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have yelled at him like that. But... this is all so frustrating! Tsukasa is missing, I don't know if I can trust Kaoru-kun even though I want to, and everything is just... why did I take my frustration out on him like that?!_

Konata broke the tense silence by turning to Yutaka, frowning slightly, and asking, "Yu-chan, do you have your cell phone on you? I left mine at home." Nodding, just as her little cousin was about to dial "119" a loud and familiar voice called out to them. Hearing this voice made everyone look up in surprise, and most of their expressions turned to relief when they say Tsukasa running towards them, an apologetic smile on her face. The girls rushed to her, including Sayaka, but her eyes narrowed when she saw who Tsukasa was with. No one else took notice of him as they crowded around the girl, expressing their relief at finding her unharmed and well. Kagami had something important to say to her twin, though. "Tsukasa, don't you ever do that again! We were so worried about you; if anything had happened, I... you don't want to make us sad, do you?"

"I'm sorry, Nee-chan," Tsukasa said, getting all teary-eyed as she realized just how worried everyone had been. Wiping her eyes quickly, she gestured to the boy who was with her. " I got lost, and some boys were going to bully me, but Kuro-san saved me!" The girls (besides Sayaka, who had been glaring at him this whole time) looked up at the crimson-haired boy, who said nothing. It was then Tsukasa noticed that there was someone missing. "Eh? Where's Kaoru-kun?"

"Thanks for helping my sister," said Kagami, smiling at the boy. Kuro just said nothing, and turned away to leave. Her smile turning into a frown as she watched him walk away, she commented, "That was rude. Are you sure he saved you, Tsukasa?"

"Yeah! At first I thought he was scary, but he's not that bad! He kind of reminded me of Sayaka-san," she said, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"Like Amamiya-san? Really?" Patricia asked, and Tsukasa nodded. But a derisive snort from Sayaka attracted their attention, and it was then they saw that she was glaring in the direction that Kuro had left. Obviously the boy was not someone that she liked. Giving her class rep an inquisitive look, Patricia asked her, "What?"

"You haven't heard of him? That's 'Devil King' Kuro, one of the strongest, most violent delinquents at our school. If he helped you out, I bet it's only because he was itching for a brawl," Sayaka said with contempt, scowling. "Oh how I wish I could get him suspended or something! He definitely gets into fights a lot, but otherwise his record is clean! No absences, top grades, he doesn't smoke or do drugs, he doesn't hang out with a gang... it's annoying! Onigiri Kuro is an extremely violent person, yet for some reason none of the teachers dislike him at all!"

_You're one to talk about being violent?_ Hiyori wondered, but she didn't dare say that out loud. Despite how true it was, Sayaka would probably deny it. But there was one thing she could say out loud. "He doesn't sound much like a delinquent, though, if he hasn't missed a day of school and his grades are good."

"But he still gets into lots of fights," Sayaka muttered, fingers twitching as if they were itching to wrap around someone's throat. Probably Kuro's, although Hiyori fervently hoped it wasn't her own because of her comment. It was probably around then that the meganekko remembered something she had heard once, about there being a huge brawl between Sayaka "The Demoness" and "Devil King" Kuro. But then again, it probably hadn't really happened. From what she knew of her class rep and the so-called delinquent, a fight involving both of them would have been quite noticeable... and probably would cost a lot in property damage. "And he sometimes threatens people, too. They've all said it was for no good reason."

"Did they tell you the reason?" Miyuki asked, and Sayaka shook her head in reply. Looking thoughtful, she said, "We should still be thankful to him that he was able to prevent Tsukasa from being hurt and that he escorted her to the station. Lets not judge him too quickly."

"Um..." Tsukasa raised a hand as if in class, and everyone's attention was on her. "Where's Kaoru-kun?"

"He left awhile ago; said he had somethin' to do," Konata replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Although I bet he was just upset 'cuz Kagamin yelled at him. Said he didn't understand her because he doesn't have a sister." At this reminder Kagami's face flushed, as it hadn't exactly been the high point of her friendship with him. On top of feeling guilty because she was suspicious of him, she had that guilt she had to resolve, too. But Tsukasa tilted her head to one side, thinking as she said, "But he didn't really say whether he has a sister or not, did he?"

"Now that you mention it, he didn't, did he?" Miyuki answered thoughtfully, wondering about that. "He never specifically stated whether or not he has a sibling. We assumed that he's an only child, but if I remember correctly, every time we have asked whether he has a brother or sister he always evades the question."

"Hey, shouldn't we be heading home?" Sayaka interrupted, jerking a thumb in the direction of the trains. "It's getting late, and we do have school tomorrow."

"Ah, that's true! I almost forgot about the test!" Tsukasa fretted, and Kagami sighed.

"I hope you're ready to do some last-minute studying, Tsukasa."

"Don't worry, it shouldn't be too bad."

"But Onee-chan, you're in the same class aren't you?"

"Heheh, Yu-chan, if there's anything to be said it's that nothing will come of worrying too much!"

"Yeah, well, you don't worry enough, Konata!"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Don't fall asleep during class," Kagami warned her twin on their way to school the next morning as Tsukasa yawned, blinking sleepily. They had spent most of the previous night studying, or rather Kagami kept trying to keep Tsukasa awake to make sure she studied. Hopefully the results from the day's test would be positive, though considering Tsukasa's record it might not turn out so well. The clumsy girl just nodded in reply, looking as if she were ready to fall asleep while walking. Kagami herself felt tired, but not as much as her sister. As they walked, Kagami wondered how she would apologize to Kaoru for yelling at him last night. _I hope he's not mad at me for it. I'd hate for our friendship to be ruined because I yelled at him... but why didn't he want to contact the police anyways? It's like he's hiding something... but he's been pretty honest so far, I guess. _She still needed to find out whether he felt his friendship with the girls was genuine, and that he didn't plan on toying with their feelings. He didn't seem like the type, but you never know.

As usual, as they were walking they met up with Kaoru and... "Wait, where's Konata?" Kagami asked, noticing the absence of the short otaku. Kaoru shrugged as he pushed his bike along, grinning like he always did. "She's probably caught a cold or something, which surprises me. I never thought she was the kind of person who could catch a cold."

"What do you mean?" Tsukasa asked, although Kagami felt that she already knew what his answer would be to that. She knew what _her_ answer would be. "Idiots can't catch colds," she muttered under her breath.

"Idiots can't catch colds!" Kaoru laughed, unknowingly echoing what Kagami said. Then a thoughtful look came into his eyes as he said, "But I guess she's not an idiot. Konata is pretty smart, but too lazy to apply it to her school life. That's what I think. She does know a lot about anime and manga though! Not to mention games; she's pretty good at videogames that require strategy."

"How did she catch a cold, anyways? It's not like it was raining last night," Kagami said, frowning, "unless she slept under the _kotatsu_, but that doesn't seem too likely."

"You never know, Konata does strike me as the kind who might just sleep under it because it looks comfy," Kaoru laughed. "Besides, it is definitely getting colder each day if you haven't noticed. Winter is here, can't you feel it?" At this he cleared his throat, saying in a poetic voice, "DESCENDING SEAWARD/FAR-OFF MOUNTAIN WATERFALL.../WINTER NIGHTS ARE STILL. That would be a _haiku_ by Kyokusui, by the way." (In Japanese, the _haiku_ would probably fit standard _haiku_ format)

"But why does someone catch a cold from sleeping under the _kotatsu_?" Tsukasa asked, a curious expression on her face. "It's so warm under there; don't you need to be cold to catch a cold?"

"Not really, but that is partially right. You can also catch a cold by overheating; that's why you can catch a cold from sleeping under there," Kaoru answered with a grin. "You overheat during the night, and wake up with a sore nose and a runny throat."

"That was a bad joke, Kaoru-kun," Kagami scolded, putting a hand to her forehead. "It's a _runny_ nose and a _sore_ throat. And anyways, knowing Konata she went to bed late, too. If you don't get enough sleep, you can get a cold. I think it's because your immune system is weaker with less sleep or something."

"I guess that's true enough," Kaoru agreed. "If your immune system isn't up to the task, then you will more than likely catch a cold or get some other sickness. Too bad there's really no way to become immune to the common cold! There are so many kinds of viruses that cause colds, not to mention the fact that they've got a tendency for continuous mutation. The best thing to do is make sure you get your daily dosages of Vitamin C and Vitamin D! And get enough sleep," he added when Tsukasa yawned. "As long as you get more than seven hours' worth of it, you're good to go!"

"If only it were so easy to avoid other sicknesses," Kagami said, and Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"True, true. Not all are the same, after all."

"But can't you avoid some of the worse ones by eating healthy and having good healthy habits?" Tsukasa asked, definitely not wanting to get sick. She hoped that the more she learned on how to avoid getting sick, the less likely she would. And that was probably true.

"Well... usually. Unless you get bit by a little bugger carrying a disease," Kaoru said. "Luckily, though, those guys don't like to show their faces during winter. Too cold. And besides, here in Japan the bugs don't usually carry a disease, unless one snuck over via an international cruise ship or something. And no matter how healthy you try to be, some diseases are hereditary and the child can get it from the parent. But I doubt either of you are likely to have a hereditary disease; I might be, though."

"Really?! What disease?" Tsukasa asked, concerned. Kagami had a look of concern, too, but had a nagging suspicion that he wasn't being serious at all despite the somber expression on his face. He closed his eyes with a sorrowful air, and then suddenly burst out into laughter, grinning broadly. Quite the opposite from what one would expect from someone who has a disease that originated from their genetic code. "Bad luck!" he answered with more laughter, and Kagami glared at the otaku.

"Don't do that! We thought you were serious," Kagami scolded, grabbing his ear and tugging on it. This seemed to have the desired effect of stopping his laughing and getting him to pay attention. "Being sick shouldn't be so much of a laughing matter!"

"Ow ow ow, okay, I'm sorry!" Raising a hand in apology, Kaoru gave the tsunderekko a pleading stare. "Can you let go now, please? That kinda hurts, you know!" She complied, and as he rubbed his sore ear, he said, "Note to self: Keep ears out of Kagami-chan's reach." He said this with a small grin, and as the school came into view he hopped onto his bike. "See you! I gotta put my bike away, y'know?" Speeding off, he narrowly avoided crashing into some students before pedaling through the school gates. Kagami sighed, and she and Tsukasa continued walking at their usual pace until they reached the school. After exchanging their outside shoes for school-use shoes, they met up with Kaoru at the stairs and began the long climb up to the third floor. This was probably one of the downsides to being in their final year of high school; the trek left something to be desired. By the time they reached the third-year floor, Kaoru's grin had shrunk a little, Kagami was frowning a little, and Tsukasa needed to take a quick rest. One would think they'd be used to it by now.

"Why couldn't the classrooms be closer to ground level?" Kaoru groaned as they walked to the classrooms. "I mean, come on. Each day we have to make the trek up these stairs. It gets a little tiring. Wonder why Kuroi-sensei always looks so happy... maybe the teachers don't have to climb the stairs?"

"I think they do; Kuroi-sensei probably just hides her tiredness," Kagami said, the door to 3-B coming closer with each step they took. Taking a deep breath, Kagami knew what she had to do. _Now or never; this might be my only chance_. Before they entered the classroom, she placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, making him pause and turn to look at her with a questioning expression. Tsukasa, when she realized they had stopped, looked at them with a puzzled look, wondering what was going on. "Um.. Kaoru-kun, can I talk with you for a bit?"

"Sure," he agreed, and looked at Tsukasa. "Go on ahead; we'll catch up." Tsukasa nodded, entering the classroom after a second glance at them. Turning his attention back to Kagami, with that usual grin on his face he said, "So, what's up?"

"Well..." Now here was the harder part. Kagami took another deep breath, calming down her anxiety. "It's just... I..."

"A love confession?" Kaoru teased, and this interruption caused Kagami's face to turn bright red as her brain registered his words.

"N-No! It's not that! I just want to apologize!" Kagami shouted, and unbeknownst to them she was loud enough that everyone on the third-years' floor heard her. Still blushing, she continued, "I'm sorry for yelling at you last night. I was--"

"Upset, I know," Kaoru interrupted, still grinning. If anything, it had grown slightly. "I told you, I understand. And I'm not mad at you for yelling at me; why should something like that come between friends? And anyways, anyone would be upset if their sibling was lost in a big city like Akiba. So no worries, neh?"

Hearing that relieved Kagami of some of her guilt, and she sighed in relief. That was one problem down. There was still one hurdle left to leap, and it seemed terribly high. _How am I supposed to ask how he feels about us?_ Luckily, she had no need to ask anything as Kaoru wasn't done talking yet. He continued, "What kind of friend would I be if I got upset over such a little thing when it's perfectly reasonable for you to have yelled at me because of my stubbornness? I probably deserved that... anyways, friends stick together, y'know? Through thick and thin, no matter what. It's bonds which make people stronger, happier; not money, not power, it's the bonds they share with others. And the stronger, the better." For a moment it seemed as if he were reciting a long-standing argument he'd had with someone, as a faraway look came into his eyes. Kaoru soon came back to Earth as he said, "I'm glad I made friends with you, Kagami-chan. And Miyuki-san, Tsukasa-chan, Minoru-san, Konata, and Patty-san and the other underclassmen, too. As a popular anime character once said, 'those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.' I don't plan on losing any of my friends; there are so many fun times yet to be had, and I want to share them all with everyone." He paused and laughed, grinning like an idiot. "Guess I was a little long-winded, huh? I just had to get it off my chest; there are people who would disagree, and I've had arguments with someone like that. Anyways... let's head in, eh?" He held out a hand, and with a small smile Kagami took it as they went into the classroom.

_I guess there really isn't any reason to be suspicious, is there? I think... no, I know he was being truthful. He was putting his heart into his words. Even though it doesn't completely explain why he became such a good friend with us so quickly, it's fine. He's definitely not a charmer; he doesn't have the capability to woo any woman he meets! Kaoru-kun would more likely annoy them than attract them; but... we're friends, so the way he acts doesn't bother me so much. "Bonds"... that's a good way to put it. I hope my bonds with others stays strong; after all, friends are important to me, too. Even Konata... as annoying as she is sometimes._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Achoo!" Sniffling from the cold, the short otaku's _ahoge_ twitched as she recovered from that sneeze, idly wondering if someone was talking about her. But that didn't matter as much as her game. Which, unfortunately, was taking a turn for the worse as her sneeze had broken her concentration. Konata took on a shocked expression as the dreaded "GAME OVER" faded into view, and she groaned. But it didn't keep the girl down for long. "Heh, that's fine. They just got lucky! This time, I won't sneeze! And I'll be victorious!" Konata resumed her game, taking full advantage of the fact that she was sick and didn't have to go to school. After all, school interfered with precious gaming time!

**Author's Notes: Wh00t! I finally finished it! Please don't lynch me for taking so long; I still gotta finish this story! When it's done, _then_ you can lynch me. Or run me out of town with torches and pitchforks. Quite frankly I hope you do the latter. Anyways, giving Konata a cold was more like a last-minute idea than anything else. It would take away one factor that constantly interrupts Kagami; and Kaoru tends to say things without thinking sometimes, I noticed. Geez, can't he be a little nicer? Well... Kuro and Sayaka are fun characters, and things'll get interesting with them around. Kuro will join the main group, I'm hoping, for one main reason which I shall not say. Sayaka... Kaoru's cousin, yes, I did plan for him to have a younger cousin. She's a toughie... what was I thinking, putting her and Kuro both into this story? There might be a bloodbath if they clash again... -Caramelldansen dances- Stay tuned!**

Notes/References:

"_CLANNAD_": My absolute FAVORITE anime! It and its sequel are so touching... I cried several times! And I usually don't! What a lovely anime... such a touching story! WATCH IT!!!!!

yuri/yaoi: I probably have no need to explain this, but for those who don't know... yuri (or shoujo ai) is girl-girl love while yaoi (or shonen ai) is boy-boy love. I don't mind yaoi, but I don't like yuri so much... which is funny, considering I'm writing a fanfic for Lucky Star (and trying to keep this ficcy from going yuri)

class rep: You should all already know by now. In Japan, in school each class has a class representative (alternatively known as class president). Usually nominated by themselves, a fellow student... or even a teacher.

"The Demoness"/"Devil King": I've noticed that tough characters in anime often have nicknames or titles that usually include the words "demon" or "devil." Probably to make them sound tougher... and sometimes they even deserve the title/nickname.

"Aniki": Another way to say big brother. Also used to refer to higher-ups within the _yakuza_. In this case, Sayaka is saying big brother. She is _NOT_ a _yakuza_.

"_School Rumble_": If you've watched it, you should know the reference. Hint - Something Tenma really likes

_jidaigeki_: A period drama. Set around the feudal ages, the days of samurai and ninja, of daimyo and shogun. Quite frankly I like them, too.

_yakuza_: You better know what they are. The Japanese mafia.

Twins: This has been discussed in Lucky Star already. Though it's more often said that identical twins are near-telepathic. That or they know each other really, really, really well

"_To Heart_": Tsukasa really does bear a resemblance to Akari. I haven't seen this anime yet, but now I want to. Seems interesting enough.

"_Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu_": Well... of course this was referenced! And if you haven't watched this yet, shame on you! How can you watch Lucky Star without having watched this anime?!

Electric Town: Akihabara's nickname. I think I already said this once before.

119: Japan's version of 911. If you haven't already figured it out

Onigiri: A rice ball. Kuro's last name is a rice ball. I must've been hungry when I named him...

"Idiots can't catch colds": Obviously not true... I think. I can't remember where this superstition originated from... maybe because it's assumed that idiots can be so dumb they don't know when they've caught a cold and therefore have none of the symptoms. You know... that would be REALLY dumb...

_haiku_: Japanese poems that often contain an underlying meaning. Tends to use a lot of symbolism.

_kotatsu_: A heated table, nowadays it uses an electric heater attached to the bottom of the table. Keeps your legs quite snug and warm; just don't sleep under it.

hereditary diseases: Terrible. Just terrible...

"_Naruto_": I cannot believe I referenced this, but *insert name*'s quote was too good to pass up! By the way, if you have never heard of this show, you must have been living under a rock. Or at the bottom of the sea. Or in an alternate dimension.


End file.
